


Cupcake

by joannacamilley



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: Car Sex, Cunnilingus, F/M, Marijuana, Public Blow Jobs, Sex, Sex in a Car, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:29:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joannacamilley/pseuds/joannacamilley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Emma first saw Gunner, she never expected for a friendship and romance to blossom, much less anything else. [after season 1, before season 2] Gunner/Emma</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red

Emma let out a sigh. It was a Saturday night and she spent it organizing the motel's records while Norman was out with Bradley. He said they were going to the library, but Emma knew what that really meant. Norma was keen on Norman keeping a good average so she let him go, but refused to let Emma tag along, saying that someone had to man the counter while Norma was away. It's not like Emma wanted to anyway.

Ever since that awful dance, Emma tried to keep her distance from Norman. The further away she was from him, the less she would feel for him. At least she hoped. Working at his mother's motel every day didn't seem to help. Norma understood Emma's feelings for Norman and his, well, non-feelings for her. She never forced them to be together unless absolutely necessary anymore.

Emma looked up when she heard the door open. Her eyebrows furrowed; it was the middle of the night. Who would come into the motel at this hour?

"Hey, Emma?" She recognized that voice. It was one of the trimmers she had busted earlier that week. Gunner. She blushed as she remembered the gift he gave her.

Emma sat up in her chair as Gunner came in and closed the door. "I saw you in here all alone and I thought I'd keep you company." Gunner's voice was reserved but hopeful.

"Oh you don't want to be in here, I'm just going through some old records. It's really boring," Emma argued, shuffling some papers around so he wouldn't see the redness on her cheeks.

"Let me entertain you then. I'm good at that," Gunner smiled. He leaned onto the front desk and peered at the papers in Emma's hand. "Wow, there's a lot of stuff here. Did the old owner ever clean up?"

"I doubt it. Norma told me to throw everything that wasn't important out, but apparently this motel used to be well traveled."

"Yeah, I think a lot of trimmers stay here. My dad's family has been doing this for generations." Emma looked up at Gunner. He had an easy smile on his face with open eyes that were a tad bit red.

"Are you high right now?"

Gunner scoffed and looked down, running his hands through his hair in a nervous manner. "Maybe…?" he replied sheepishly.

"I told you, you can't smoke here-"

"I didn't smoke it. You remember my killer cupcakes, don't you?" Gunner smirked.

Emma's face completely reddened. "I…I-"

"I know you took it. Was it good? Do you want another? I just made a new batch." Gunner got up as if to get them, but Emma held him back by his arm.

"I don't think so. I think I had a… bad reaction last time," Emma looked down.

"Really?" He really seemed concerned and sat back down again.

"I was just really paranoid. I thought there were cameras in here and coyotes outside. It felt like I was dying. I don't think I want to feel like that again."

"Wow, I'm sorry. I only gave it to you because I thought you'd have a good time. If I'd known…" Gunner looked away, then looked back at Emma. "I just think you're such a nice person, you know? You didn't bust me to the motel owner, and you're so pretty-"

"What?" Emma almost choked.

"Well, yeah. I don't give my weed cupcakes to just anyone, Cupcake," Gunner snorted.

"What did you just call me?" Emma couldn't help but to laugh.

"I'm gonna call you Cupcake now, you're sweet just like one," he flirted.

Emma had to hide her grin. No one had ever flirted with her before. Sure, she had kissed Norman, but that was very one sided.

"So, do you want me to help you?" Emma looked into his clear green eyes. Oh why not? He was kinda cute and liked her enough to do boring work with her.

She nodded and they got to work. Somehow, Gunner managed to make the menial task amusing, as he promised he would. Before long, Emma was laughing so hard she had to clutch her sides. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

"Gunner… I… can't-" she wheezed. He shot off of the desk, worried about her. Emma pulled on her nasal cannula, discovering that in her laughter, her chair had rolled over one end and restricted the oxygen that came to her lungs. Gunner quickly moved her chair and Emma began taking deep breaths through her nose.

"Thanks," she said quietly, extremely embarrassed over what just happened.

"Well that's one way to change the mood," he replied softly. His arms were still around her on the chair and their faces were inches apart. Emma gulped, her eyes quickly flickering down to his lips. The last person she kissed ditched her for a blonde Barbie, but this guy…

Gunner made the first move and leaned in, pressing their lips together. His hand moved down to her shoulder, and then to her waist. Emma cupped his face with her hand, making it impossible for him to move away even if he wanted to. She felt breathless again, but this time for a good reason. Their kiss deepened when his tongue lightly flicked at her lips and she opened them. Before she knew it, Emma was sitting sideways on Gunner's lap and he was sitting in the chair she was occupying seconds before. His fingers curled around her thigh, pulling her closer to him. Their tongues intertwined in an intricate dance, one that Gunner was obviously more experienced in. His hand slowly crept up her thigh and cupped her bottom. Emma moaned, which was surprising because she had never moaned like that before. Gunner's hand crept up even further, creeping under her shirt. Before he could make it to his destination, the door to the office suddenly opened.

"Emma, it's getting late, you should-" Norma stopped dead when she saw the scene before her. Her sweet Emma was being groped by one of the potheads. They quickly jumped apart, Emma almost tripping on her O2 tank. "I think it's time you both leave now," Norma said in a strict tone, much different than the one she used when she thought only Emma was in there.

"O-of course," Emma replied, flustered. She quickly grabbed her O2 tank and her bag and was out of the door before Gunner could say a word. It was drizzling and pitch black outside, so Emma quickly tried to make it to her car. She fumbled with her keys before finding the right one and sliding into her car. When she tried to start it, the car groaned but wouldn't turn on. Emma tried three more times before letting out a groan of her own. She sat in the car for a second, contemplating her options. She could try walking home, but she lived miles away and she wasn't exactly the type of person to walk far distances. She could go up to Norma's house, but she did not seem in a good mood when she caught Emma with Gunner. Which left her with option three: seek refuge in Gunner's motel room.

Emma gathered her things and made a mad dash to Gunner's door. It took him a few seconds to open the door and immediately Emma could smell weed.

"I thought you went home," Gunner said nervously, his left hand behind his back just like the first time they had talked. She could see smoke rising behind him.

"My car isn't working and it's raining so I thought I could wait here?" When he noticed Emma shivering, he quickly ushered her in.

"Oh yeah, we wouldn't want you getting sick. Sorry about the, you know," he looked down at the joint in his hand as he closed the door.

"Why do you do it?" she asked bluntly. "I mean, like, isn't there a better way to spend your time?"

"Not really," he admitted. "We're always traveling to harvest it, and I've been doing it for a while." When Emma raised her eyebrow, he added, "I mean not since I was too young, maybe like 13. I was always taught it's not a bad thing, especially since it's what keeps the economy up here."

Emma nodded her head. "I thought you were already high though, why are you smoking again?"

"I was nervous," Gunner confessed while flicking the end of the joint. "I know the motel lady, Norma is her name? She doesn't like us staying here, and I didn't want you getting in trouble for… before," he shyly smiled.

Emma could feel herself flushing. "Yeah, she can be scary sometimes, but it's okay. It's not like you were forcing me or anything."

"Oh yeah?" Gunner asked, taking a quick hit before putting the joint down. He slowly let out his breath as he reached out to grab her hand. He pulled them closer together and used his free hand to cup her face. Their lips met again in a slow tango, neither one rushed. He let go of her hand and grabbed her waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other. She could feel his every breath and movement, and she was sure he could feel all of hers. Her hands clasped around his neck, trying to bring him closer to her.

It was only when they started moving towards the bed that Emma remembered her O2 tank because her cannula was puling on her face. They reluctantly pulled apart so she could wheel it with them. Gunner kept his eyes on her face the whole time, his eyes red but also dilated with lust. Once she had her tank next to her, he leaned down to start another kiss. They traveled the rest of the way to the bed then Gunner lightly laid her down. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt, fiddling with it a bit before pulling it up and over her head. It immediately got caught on her cannula.

"Have you ever done this before?" he chuckled as they tried to get her untangled.

"Taken my shirt off before? Well I don't wear the same shirt every day, do I?" she teased before throwing her shirt on the floor.

A wide grin overtook Gunner's face. Moments like these reminded him why he liked her. "You know what I mean," he said with a kiss.

Emma pulled back looking a bit hesitant. "No," she admitted with a quiet voice.

"Do you want to?" Gunner asked seriously. Even though he was high, he knew he couldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do. "We can stop-"

"No, I don't want to stop," she said almost silently. They stared at each other for a few moments before Emma pulled him closer for another kiss.

This time, there were no distractions. She grabbed the back of Gunner's shirt and pulled it over his head, leaving them both shirtless. His hands moved to the button of her pants, which he ran his fingers over for a second before unbuttoning it and pulling it down her legs. Emma unbuttoned his jeans and let him kick them off. Now in only their underwear, they started kissing again with a new passion.

Gunner gently ran his hand up her torso, reaching her breast. He cupped it before lightly squeezing, causing Emma to moan. He reached behind her to unhook her bra, letting them free. He knew Emma felt nervous by being bared completely by the way she shrunk back a bit when he threw the bra off the bed, but he quickly dipped down to give each breast a kiss before sucking on the right nipple. Her hands went to the back of his head, pressing him towards her while his hand kneaded her left breast. She could feel a hardness pressing into her inner thigh, and the thought of what it was made her shiver.

He began kissing down her body, replacing his mouth with his other hand so both her breasts were stimulated. When he reached her panties, he smirked and went back up to kiss her lips. "Tease," Emma moaned, making him laugh.

"I thought you liked to be teased, Miss 'I don't wear the same shirt every day'," he said between kisses. Finally, he reached down and pulled her panties off, then lightly rubbed her between her legs. "You're so wet, Cupcake," he murmured before diving down to replace his hands with his mouth.

Emma couldn't even think of a witty comeback. She couldn't think, period. Gunner's tongue dipped into her opening before his lips closed around her clit. Her hands were threaded through his hair, urging him to do more. He used one hand to spread the slickness around before putting a finger inside. The circles his tongue was making on her clit was driving her out of her mind. He added a second finger and hooked them both forward, reaching a place that Emma didn't even know existed. Her legs, which were hooked around his shoulders, began shaking so much she didn't know how much more she could take. With a loud moan, she came around his fingers as her toes curled.

Gunner leaned back as her body fell boneless on the bed. He grinned as he crawled above her again. "Do you want to continue?" he asked while rubbing his nose against hers.

She couldn't speak so she just nodded, her eyes wide with pleasure. He quickly rid himself of his boxers before situating back between her legs. He pulled one up a bit higher before looking back into Emma's eyes. "This might hurt a bit and I'm sorry, but I'll try to go slow." She nodded again before Gunner leaned down.

As soon as their lips touched, he pushed forward and past her barrier. Emma let out a strangled groan that was silenced by his lips. He stayed in that position for a moment so she could get used to it before he pushed in further. Eventually, he was in to the hilt, which was when he broke the kiss to look into her eyes again. "Okay?" he whispered, his voice a bit strained.

"Yeah," she replied breathlessly. Her hands trailed to his back, which was well muscled. "Keep going."

He carefully pulled out until only the tip was in then pushed in again with a bit more speed. Emma tried to breathe though it, thankful her cannula was still in or else she would have an even harder time catching a breath. With each stroke, Gunner was moving faster and a bit harder. He reached a point that was fulfilling for both of them, especially once he reached down and pressed on her clit again. Emma couldn't contain her moans after that, her inner walls subtly clenching around him and causing him to moan too.

"You feel… so good… Cupcake," he moaned, grabbing her other leg and putting it around his waist.

"I need… a nickname… for you," she replied, trying to swallow her moans so he could understand her.

He didn't answer and instead put his face on her neck, opting to suck on her skin instead. He shifted to a different angle that seemed to hit a bunch of new nerves in her, causing her to become an incoherent mess.

Two thrusts later, Emma came harder than before and screaming Gunner's name. It triggered his orgasm, which he said her name into her neck. They both fell back onto the bed completely satisfied with the experience. He stayed on top of her for a while, giving her neck gentle kisses and using his arms to keep from crushing her.

"I guess I'm glad your car stopped working," he said suddenly into the silence.

Emma laughed. "You know, I have a question," she started while lazily running her hands up and down his lower back.

"Mhmm?" he let out onto her neck.

"Do you think it'd be better the second time I have a cupcake? I mean, is it like what happened to me every time?"

"Maybe," he answered before getting up and finally disconnecting from her. He rolled onto her side and leaned up facing her. "I don't think it will be like that all the time for you, you probably just had a bad trip."

"Do you think I'd have a better trip with you?" she asked, honestly curious. She saw the cupcakes on his dresser.

"You already made my trip perfect so probably," he laughed before getting up and fetching two cupcakes. "Here you go," he said as he offered one to her.

She looked at it critically. The last one tasted delicious but the experience wouldn't be in her top ten best moments. Then she suddenly remembered they were both naked. "It feels weird eating naked, you know?" she explained as she got up to put her bra and panties back on.

Gunner raised his eyebrows. "If you say so." He grabbed his boxers and put them on also. Once they had their underwear on, he picked up his cupcake and raised it up to hers. "Cheers, Cupcake," he grinned before beginning to eat it.

Emma unwrapped hers and took a bite. It was as delicious as the first one. Before she knew it, it was gone and she was lying in Gunner's arms. "When will it start to kick in?" she wondered out loud.

"Soon, don't worry. In the mean time," he said mischievously before sneaking another kiss in. They kissed and fondled each other for about twenty minutes before she started to feel it kick in.

"Whoa, this… this is great," Emma smiled as she pulled back from the kiss, her eyes lingering on his lips.

"I told you it would be better this time. You should probably only do this with me," he suggested.

"What, eat weed cupcakes or have sex?" she snickered.

He kissed her again. "Both."

It wasn't long before both were tired beyond belief and they fell asleep together.

The next morning, Emma woke up confused as to where she was. She was only wearing her underwear and there was someone else on the bed. For a second, she hoped it was Norman but knew that would be impossible. She saw the light brown hair and suddenly everything came back to her. She gasped and looked down at herself. Not only did she have weed cupcakes again but also she was no longer a virgin. She looked at a clock and gasped again. It was already 11:30! She was supposed to be at work thirty minutes ago. At least she was on the property still.

Emma quickly got up and threw her clothes on. She texted her dad an explanation for why she didn't come home last night. He could never know the truth, or else Gunner might not be alive much longer. Before she ran out the door and to work, Emma decided to write a note to Gunner.

Gunner,

Thanks for last night. I had a great time and I hope you did too. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think I'll call you Red, on account of the fact that you always seem to have red eyes around me.

I'll be working today until 6. You should stop by.

-Cupcake


	2. Kinky

Emma was rushing so much to get into the office quickly that she didn't even notice Norma sitting at the desk until she spoke.

"Emma, nice to finally see you. Why are you late?" The sound of the older woman's voice made her jump.

"Oh, I just- car troubles, you know," she tried to smile before shuffling behind the desk.

"I see," Norma said, eyeing Emma before zooming in on her neck. Emma felt nervous under her calculating stare. "What's that on your neck?"

Emma's hand shot up to touch the spot Norma was looking at. Only one thing came to mind: Gunner gave her a hickey. "Umm, I- uh, I burned myself…?" she said as more of a question than an answer. She quickly brought her hair over her neck so Norma couldn't stare at it anymore.

Norma narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, the door to the office opened.

"Emma, here's the dress you asked for. Why did you spend the night here again?" It was Emma's dad, holding a deep purple dress out for Emma to take.

Emma could feel the intense stare from Norma and it made her nervous. "My car had troubles, but the Bates gladly took me in so don't worry." She side glanced at Norma, begging her to go along with it.

Emma's dad looked at Norma too, hoping for some confirmation from an adult that no funny business went on. "Of course," Norma started. "I care for Emma like she's my own daughter." Norma threw in a hug and a smile, but Emma knew she felt stiff.

"Thank you for taking care of her. Well I must go back to work, I just found a woodchuck to stuff and I need to start."

As soon as Emma's dad was out the door, Norma ran her hand over her face. "Emma, it's not right to lie to your dad like that-"

"I didn't really lie. My car wouldn't start last night and I did stay here-" Emma tried to defend herself but Norma wouldn't hear it.

"You damn well did not stay in my house!" Norma's fuse blew before she collected herself. "Listen, Emma, I'm sure you think you're not doing anything wrong, but those guys are no good. Do you know what they do for a living? They cut weed and then spend the rest of their day high on it."

Emma looked down in shame. "Dylan's doing the same thing," she mumbled.

Norma took in a sharp breath. "Don't bring my son into it. At least he doesn't lounge around all day smoking a doobie." Norma leaned down until Emma had to look at her. "I know Norman broke your heart, and I know you're looking for someone to love, but please, for the love of God, don't let it be that stoner. He's going nowhere in life. Nowhere." With one last disapproving look, Norma grabbed her bag and coat and walked out the door.

Emma sat down in the chair and put her head in her hands. Now that she had time to actually think about it, she was regretting her decisions last night. What possessed her to sleep with a guy she'd only known for a week tops? They'd only ever had two conversations, and one was her trying to get him to stop smoking so she wouldn't lose her job. But what could she do now? What happened happened and she couldn't take it back.

Emma decided to quickly change into the dress her dad brought her so she wouldn't have to wear the frumpy clothes for a second day. She went into the back room and closed the door so that she could have privacy from the front windows. She sighed once she realized the only shoes she had were boots that did not match the dress at all. Shaking her head, she headed back to the front of the office while deciding to not be so vain. Who cared if her shoes didn't match? Only someone like Bradley would be bothered and Emma did not want to associate with her at all.

The door to the office opened suddenly, causing Emma to look up. Her heart first dropped, but then it fluttered back up to her chest.

"Hey, I just saw Norma leave in a hurry. Everything alright?" Gunner asked with a million watt smile.

"Oh yeah, she was just warning me about you doobie smokers," she replied with a ghost of a smile.

Gunner chuckled a bit before he closed the door and walked up to Emma. "Prepare to become one again. Minus the smoking, I guess." He held up two more cupcakes, suddenly causing her mouth to water. She didn't have time to have breakfast.

"Gunner, I…" Emma started, wringing her hands when she remembered Norma's words. He just smiled and started to wave her cupcake in front of her face before putting it down in front of her. He unwrapped his and took a big bite.

"You're missing out," he said with a full mouth, making Emma laugh. He raised his eyebrows and nodded towards her cupcake. "Come on, Cupcake, eat it."

Emma thought for one more second before picking up the cupcake quickly and taking a bite. She practically moaned as she devoured it, causing Gunner to become half amused and half aroused. The sounds were suspiciously close to the sounds she was making last night. He smirked, remembering the night as he finished his cupcake.

When Emma was done with her cupcake, she looked up into Gunner's eyes. "I think this is the first time I've seen you with clear eyes, Red," she teased, using his nickname for the first time.

He smiled at the use of the name, causing his eyes to crinkle. "Not for long now," he said quietly. He slowly walked towards Emma and pulled her out of her chair. His arms wrapped around her waist and he just held her for a minute. "I liked the note," he mentioned, breathing in her scent. It's his new favorite smell.

"You did?" When he nodded, she asked another question. "Do you like your nickname too?"

"Yeah, it's… very creative," Gunner smiled. His gaze flickered down to her lips as his quickly licked his. "Cupcake and Red," he murmured before his lips descended on hers.

Emma instantly opened her mouth, her tongue eagerly tangling with his. Both of their mouths tasted like the chocolate cupcakes. His fingers tightly gripped her waist before sliding down to her ass. He bunched the material of the dress up until only her underwear separated them. Emma's fingers were in his hair, lightly pulling the strands as their kiss deepened. He began to walk Emma backwards until they ended up in the back room. He pulled away from the kiss to smirk as he closed the door behind him.

"Now we can get to business," he mumbled as he connected their lips again. This time, his hand went directly under her dress first. He grabbed a handful of her ass before sliding his hand in between her legs. Emma began to lightly pant as a wet spot formed on her panties. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly as she desperately tried to get it off of him. He used his free hand to stop hers. "I want to keep our clothes on for this. Trust me, it'll be fun," he tried to convince her when she whined. "You can undo my pants, though."

Emma's hands immediately went to his button, quickly undoing it and pulling down the zipper. She had her hand down his pants before he could do anything else. He let out a breath as she gripped his cock, lightly running her fingers over it. What she felt made her look down. "Are you uncut?" she blurted out before she could think about it.

"Yeah," he answered, trying to think while she had her hand down his pants. "My parents are total hippies, you know. They want everything to stay natural and whatnot. Is there a problem?"

"No, no, I just didn't notice last night because everything happened so quickly…" She almost started to blush but Gunner quickly took her lips again.

"Enough talking," he mumbled against her lips before deepening the kiss again. He slid her panties down her legs before running his hands over her plump bottom again. Her hand began moving up and down his length again. He ran a few fingers between her legs before inserting one into her slit. She was wet enough that his finger easily glided in and out so he quickly added another one. His actions caused her grip on him to tighten, causing him to groan. He turned them around so she was against the door before lifting her up. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He shoved his pants and boxers below his hips and gripped his shaft while using one arm to hold Emma up. He ran the head along her opening before bringing it up to circle around her clit.

"Can you just do it?" she half moaned, her legs tightening around him. He smiled and kissed her before aligning himself with her opening. He pushed forward and slowly sunk into her. He was all the way in much quicker than the night before and Emma was thankful that it was not nearly as painful. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she leaned back, causing her lower body to move towards his. One of his hands gripped her hip while the other rested beside her head on the door. He pulled out faster than before and started a rhythm of thrusting into her. Every time he pushed forward, her lower back would bump into the door, and when he withdrew, Emma found herself wanting him to be back inside her again. Their bodies worked together for a while, Gunner gradually increasing their pace until he was practically pounding into her. She had to dig her heels into his back so that she wouldn't fall off of him and onto the floor. Their ears were filled with their quick breaths and moans while their noses were filled with the smell of their sweat. So this is what sex smells like, Emma thought.

Gunner's hips suddenly started to stutter against hers. "I'm almost there," he managed to get out. "Are you?"

"Not quite," she whispered as she closed her eyes. Gunner groaned and leaned back a bit, taking his hand off her hip and instead putting it just above where they were joined. His thumb made quick, desperate circles on her clit as his pace increased even more.

"Come on," he murmured after one particularly hard thrust caused Emma to gasp in pleasure. "Jesus, you're just so tight… I don't know how much longer…"

"Almost," Emma moaned. Her toes strained to curl within her shoes, but it was impossible. One more circle from his thumb caused Emma to fall over the edge, her whole body quaking from the power of her orgasm. Gunner promptly came also, the undulations from within her gripping his cock and milking him of all he was worth. For a minute, they both forgot their names.

When Emma came back to her senses, she realized her nails were still digging into his shoulders. She loosened her grip both in her hands and her legs and Gunner slowly let her down. At first, her legs wobbled so much she didn't know if she could stand by herself. He held her upright against the door as he also tried to catch his breath.

"That," he said between breaths, "was amazing." She nodded her agreement, too breathless to speak. Her body was still tingling from before. She realized the reason she felt like she was suffocating was because she was still wearing the majority of her clothes.

"Why couldn't we take our clothes off again?" she asked once she could speak again.

Gunner shrugged. "I thought it would be kinky."

"Next time, all our clothes come off, okay?" They both laughed as Emma put her panties back on while Gunner pulled up his pants. Their laughter stopped when they heard the door to the office open. Suddenly remembering she was supposed to be working, Emma grabbed her O2 tank and opened the door.

Dylan was looking around the office before the opening of the back door caught his attention. He saw Emma emerge quickly, her appearance ruffled and her face flushed. Gunner slinked out behind her, his hair looking like a tornado went through it. Dylan looked between them a few times curiously before shaking his head.

"I've been looking everywhere for you dude, we have to go to the field for a last minute trimming job. Gil said we had to be there pronto," Dylan told Gunner. Gunner nodded and started walking outside, stopping when he reached the door to look back at Emma. Emma gave him a slight smile before jerking her head towards the door, telling him to go. Once Gunner was outside, Dylan looked at Emma. "You should be careful, you know," he addressed the younger girl. Emma was taken aback. Dylan rarely ever talked to her. "He lives in California most of the time. Just… don't get too attached, okay?" He was out the door before Emma could say a word.


	3. Boyfriend

It turned out to be a grueling day of work for Gunner and the other trimmers. They had to travel to the most hidden pot field and lug their day's winnings back to the compound. By the time Gunner got back to the motel later that night, he was tired to the bone. Though he wanted to just collapse on his bed, he resisted the urge and went to check the office to see if Emma happened to be there. Gunner let out a disappointed sigh when he saw that the office was empty.

"Looking for someone?" Gunner was startled by the voice behind him. It was Dylan, staring at him expectantly while lighting a cigarette.

"Yeah, do you know when Emma works?" Emma was close with the family, right? Surely he would know.

Dylan took a slow puff from his cigarette before answering. "I don't know when she works. She probably doesn't work when she has school though."

Gunner grimaced. "We're leaving tomorrow, right?" When Dylan nodded, he continued. "I need to talk to her before then. I don't even have her number."

"I usually get a girl's number before I sleep with her. Try to remember that next time," Dylan chuckled as he made his way up to the house.

Gunner let out his own embarrassed chuckle before making his way back into his room. The sheets in the bed were still rumpled from their tryst the night before. He took a heavy seat on the bed before leaning back so he was staring at the ceiling. If someone were to tell him yesterday what would've happened these past two days, he wouldn't believe them.

The first time he saw Emma last week, he instantly thought she was cute. He was sitting on the motel porch smoking a joint by himself. He thought she might join him at first and he gave her a slight nod before he realized that she worked for the motel. He tried to quickly run into his room but before he knew it, Emma was knocking on the door. She reprimanded him and told him to put the joint out, which he quickly did. She thanked him then walked away as if that experience was just an annoyance to her day. But to Gunner, it was a highlight. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she walked away and ended up leaning out the door looking after her like a lovesick puppy. He always noticed when she was around after that but did not try talking to her, other than giving her the cupcake. Last night was the first time they had a conversation since the first time they met. A lot more than a conversation, Gunner thought while grinning.

But he was going back to California the next day. He needed to talk to Emma at least one more time before leaving, preferably getting her number also so they could talk while he was gone. He never really thought about White Pine Bay that much, it was just one of the places he went to for work, but now he had a reason to want to stay.

Gunner actually set an alarm to wake up early. He never woke up before noon unless he had work, but he was motivated this time. He pulled on some jeans and a relatively clean shirt before heading to the office. To his joy, the light was on and he could see a head of long brown hair behind the desk.

He quietly opened the door and leaned on the doorframe. "Hey Cupcake."

Emma jumped a little bit, which he found cute. "Red," she breathed out, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"You're always blushing around me, maybe I should call you Red," Gunner teased as he walked up to the counter to stand across from her. She laughed and looked down as he reached across the surface to take her hands in his. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Since I never got to finish organizing the records on Saturday, and I was busy yesterday-" she gave Gunner a look that made him laugh,"I decided to come in early to finish them before school."

"That's good. I actually need to talk to you," he gave her a small smile, rubbing his thumb along her fingers. "I'm going back to California today and I wanted to see you one more time before I go."

Emma frowned and leaned back. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know," he confessed as he put on a matching frown. "I'll try to come back as soon as possible but I mainly just go wherever they need me."

"Maybe Dylan can set something up where you can stay here… if you want," she added hastily. She didn't know if he had a family to go back to in California or if he actually wanted to move to White Pine Bay.

"Yeah, I'll ask." A smile took over Gunner's face again. "In the meantime, I think I should get my girlfriend's number."

Emma was silent for a second. "Me?"

"I don't know who else would be my girlfriend, if you want to be that is."

"Of course!" Emma was so happy; she forgot he was leaving soon. These past few months were spent with her trying to get Norman to be her boyfriend, but now she had one of her own.

"So about that number…"

"Yeah, just wait a second." Emma quickly found a scrap of paper and scribbled her number on it, writing 'Cupcake' above. She proudly presented it to Gunner, who happily put it into his pocket.

"Thanks, I'll text you later today so that you'll have my number too," he told her. He reached out for her hand again, encapsulating it within his bigger hands. "I'm going to miss you," he said seriously.

"Me too," she nodded and looked into his eyes. "I want to kiss you," she whispered.

He nodded and leaned forward over the counter to bring their lips together. It was a sweet kiss but it was filled with enough longing to be a goodbye kiss. They broke apart when the door opened.

"Gunner, it's time to go," Dylan jerked his head towards the van where the other trimmers were yawning and stretching.

"Isn't it early?" Gunner could feel Emma's fingers tighten around his.

"Gil doesn't want to pay you guys for another day so if we leave now it won't count."

"How kind of him," Gunner mumbled before looking back at Emma. Her eyes were so sad, he had to lean in and give her one last tender kiss. "I'll talk to you soon," he said softly before detaching his hands from hers.

"Okay," she whispered. She sat back down at the desk as Gunner and Dylan both left the office and got into the van. She watched the van drive down the road, taking her boyfriend with it.

Eventually, Emma had to head back to school. It was hard to concentrate in classes when all she could think of was the next time she could see Gunner and hoping he would text her soon. It didn't help that she was still a bit sore from the time she spent with him so every time she sat down, she thought of him. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Norman's name in the hallways.

"I can't believe Norman is still following her around. Didn't he get the memo that Bradley has Richard?"

"Yeah, he definitely made up sleeping with her. Why would she ever let that thing touch her? He's so creepy."

"Him and his mom are so weird. I saw her freak out on the street after this one guy bumped into her."

"But Bradley's still hanging out with him. I don't get it. Why can't she just drop him?"

Emma had to stop listening. Their girl talk reminded her that she does not have any friends to gossip with or tell secrets to. Her only friend was Norman and she had been trying to avoid him. She wished she had someone to talk about Gunner with.

She walked into the cafeteria to see Norman sitting alone at a table. Looking around, most of the other tables were full, so Emma begrudgingly walked over to where Norman was.

"Hi Norman," she tried to say cheerfully but it came out a bit flat.

Norman looked at her for a few seconds before answering. "Hey Emma."

"So… how've you been? I haven't talked to you in a while."

Norman shrugged. He wasn't even trying to make small talk. His focus was not on Emma at all. She followed his gaze to find Bradley at the end of it. Of course.

"You know, I heard Bradley's friend's talking about you and her." Norman's ears perked up at Bradley's name. Emma had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "They were saying horrible things, questioning why Bradley hasn't dropped you yet. You should be careful."

"Why are you so obsessed with us?" Norman asked brusquely.

Emma was startled. "What are you talking about?"

"You told her friends about me and Bradley. You even told my mother. Why can't you just accept that I like Bradley and not you?"

Emma was shocked silent. Some deep hidden part of her heart was broken. She wished that he would at least have the decency to not be so harsh about it. "I'm not," she tried to say weakly.

"Yes you are. You really need to leave us alone and get a life of your own."

It felt like multiple knives were stabbing her in the back. "I do have my own life," she spat out at him. "In fact, I have a boyfriend who is much better than you'd be. A boyfriend who actually knows he's my boyfriend, unlike how you've been calling Bradley your girlfriend."

Norman shook his head. "It's not good to delude yourself with these fantasies-"

Emma didn't want to hear anymore. She abruptly stood up and grabbed her lunch, storming away. She wiped away her angry tears as she stomped to her next class. She did not even care that she was twenty minutes early.

How dare he? That was it; Emma Decody was officially done and over Norman Bates.

The rest of the day felt too long, but finally Emma made it home. Her dad was in the basement working on his woodchuck so Emma landed on the couch in front of the TV. She would start her homework soon. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She shifted a bit so she could pull it out. It was a text from an unknown number.

I miss you Cupcake

Emma smiled and saved the number under the name Red. She quickly sent him a text back.

I miss you too Red. Are you home yet?

It only took him a few seconds to reply.

Not yet, I'll be home tomorrow. Can I call you when I get home?

Emma imagined him in the van, Dylan driving with all the trimmers stuffed in the back for hours on end. She sent him one more text before putting down her phone and grabbing her bag to start some homework.

Of course, I'll be waiting

Emma had succeeded in avoiding Norman, Bradley, and all her friends in school the next day. She had to work the desk at Bates Motel for a few hours before she could go home and take a much-needed bath. Though she was done with Norman, hiding from him stressed her out.

Her phone began buzzing, signaling an incoming call. Her heart jumped when she saw Red flash across the screen.

"Hey Red," she smiled. She twirled her hair around her finger as she anticipated hearing his voice.

"Cupcake," Gunner greeted her. "Are you alone?"

"Yes…" she answered, a bit confused.

"You should know how much I miss you," he lowered his voice. Emma almost laughed. He's not doing what she thinks he's doing… is he? "I miss how perfectly our lips fit together, I miss your curves, I miss how you would whimper when I kissed down your body."

Emma had to bite her lip. Gunner's voice along with the words he said were bringing back pleasurable memories. "Yeah?" she said quietly.

"Yeah, I miss how wet I could get you just from rubbing you the right way."

Emma opened her mouth to say something but Norma came into the office at that moment. Emma let out a little squeak as her eyes widened. "Uh, Red, I have to go now," she managed to get out before hanging up the phone.

"Hi Emma," Norma greeted her cheerfully, unaware of how flustered Emma was. "I'm so glad those potheads are out of here, now we can finally try attracting the right people. I just need to quickly clean the rooms so they don't smell like weed anymore." Norma pulled the cleaning cart out of the back room and put on her apron. Before she left, she took a moment to talk to Emma. "I hope you can find someone worthy of your time. Remember that just because a boy shows interest doesn't mean you have to give in."

Emma nodded her head but rolled her eyes as soon as Norma was gone. Her prejudice against Gunner was not going to stop her at all.

As soon as Emma got into her room later that night, she picked up her phone and called Gunner back.

"Are you actually alone this time or is someone else going to walk in?" Emma could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Oh shut up, I was at work and Norma came in. If I'd known you'd say that I wouldn't have said I was alone," she laughed.

"You're alone now, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "So what are you wearing?"

"Everything. Jeans, button down shirt, shoes."

"Take off your pants and unbutton your shirt."

Emma quickly obeyed. "You do the same then."

"I'm already just in my underwear," he said lowly. "You need to get on my level."

"Alright, I'm there. Now what?"

"I want you to touch your breast and describe what you're doing."

Emma bit her lip and slowly brought her hand up to her chest. "Okay, I'm touching it."

"Gently squeeze it."

She did what she was told but almost laughed. "This is so weird."

"Come on, just pretend it's me who's doing it. Close your eyes."

Her eyelids fluttered shut as her palm gave her breast another squeeze. This time she gasped.

"That's it. Just keep your eyes closed and listen to what I tell you."

"Can I take my bra off?" she questioned. The material separating her fingers from her body was irritating her.

"Yeah. Can I touch myself?"

It felt strange that Gunner had to ask her for that but it made her feel powerful. "Yes," she lowly moaned as she slipped her bra off and ran her fingers over her nipple.

There was rumbling on the line, the sound of fabric moving. Then there was a squelching sound; Gunner had gotten lotion to help him. Emma rubbed her legs together to try to create some friction.

"Can I touch myself?" she whimpered, her hand already creeping down her stomach.

"Not yet," he breathed out. Emma groaned and forced her hand to stop, instead bringing it back up to massage her breast. The sound of Gunner's soft grunts on the line were making it impossible.

"Please," she begged, resorting to sitting at the edge of the bed to try to rub against it. "I really need to, Red."

"Okay, I just needed to hear you beg more." She didn't even care about the grin she could hear in his voice. She quickly stripped herself of her panties and smeared her hand with her wetness. She brought it up to her clit to provide for some lubrication. "Tell me," Gunner began again, "how wet and tight are you?" She dipped her fingers inside of herself and sighed at the feeling.

"Very," she said, her voice quivering. "I don't think I've ever been this wet before. I really want you and being able to hear you but not touch you is driving me crazy."

"Good, it's the same for me." Gunner's breaths began getting shallower. "Do you remember how I feel inside you?"

She answered with a moan. Her fingers were furiously driving in and out of her while her thumb massaged her clit. Her eyes clenched tight as she let go of the phone so she could use her other hand to caress her breasts. The phone landed on her shoulder and she tilted her head so she could still hear what Gunner was saying.

"I can't wait to see you again. I can't wait to fill you up with my hard cock." Gunner's words made her feel dirty in the best of ways. She quickly got to the edge and one more dirty phrase from him made her go over.

She let out a drawn out moan that let Gunner know what happened. Just imagining what Emma looked like right then was enough to make him come also. In the throes of pleasure, Emma let out a few words without meaning to. "I love you," she gasped, her body still shaking from her orgasm.

It wasn't until everything went quiet on both lines that she realized what she had actually said. She hoped Gunner was too out of it to hear what she said, but her hope was quickly dashed.

"What?" he questioned hesitantly.


	4. No Worries

"I didn't… I-" Emma stuttered. She had no idea what possessed her to tell Gunner that she loved him.

"Cupcake, I'm not… there yet. I really like you, like a lot, but-" he began to speak but she cut him off.

"I'm not there yet either! I'm sorry; I really don't know why I said that. I was just in the moment, you know?" She suddenly felt cold and uncomfortable being naked during this conversation, both physically and emotionally. She pulled on a t-shirt and panties before crawling into bed, waiting for his reply.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's okay. We both have strong feelings for each other that, you know, one day might become something more."

"Yes," she agreed. "I'm sorry if I freaked you out."

"No worries." Emma was glad Gunner was not completely freaking out. She felt like most guys would if someone they knew for a week said they loved them. "Listen, I'm like completely tired now and I have to get up early tomorrow, how about I call you later? We can just talk or whatever."

"I'd like that," she sighed as she lay down completely. "Goodnight, Red."

"Night, Cupcake."

The next day at school, Norman approached Emma before she could run away. "Emma, please just listen to me," he begged her as she tried to turn to the opposite direction.

She sighed and faced him, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"I know you've been avoiding me, and my mom said-"

"Your mom said? What, did she tell you to apologize to me too?" She got her answer when he didn't say anything. She shook her head in disbelief and finally walked away. She knew Norman could be oblivious sometimes, but that was ridiculous. It hurt to even look at him anymore. Her head told her to get over him and focus on Gunner since he actually cares about her, but her heart still cried out a little bit for Norman. Unfortunately, she didn't know if that would ever change.

Emma got through the rest of the day by keeping her head down and her thoughts to herself. She got home and decided to make dinner for her dad. He had been working really hard on perfectly stuffing the woodchuck he found a few days ago and would often eat late in the night. She cooked up some fish and chips, partly because it reminded her of living in England and partly because it was the only thing she knew how to make. She made two plates and carefully took them down to the basement.

"Hi Dad," she greeted him. He had his glasses on and was intensely focused on sewing up the belly of the woodchuck. Good, he's almost done, she thought.

"Emma, I was wondering when I'd see your face around here." He finished the last stitch then set down his work. "Don't you have spring break coming up? I figured we could go back to England to see some of our relatives for a bit."

Spring break? Emma had totally forgotten about the week she would have free from school. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Actually, can I visit some friends in California?" She held her breath in anticipation of his answer.

"California? Who do you know that lives there?"

"Just one of my friends. They, uh, used to go to school here for a little bit but went back to California."

Her dad rubbed his chin. "Where exactly in California is this?"

She had to think for a second. Actually, Gunner had never told her where he lives. "It's like in the middle-ish…"

Mr. Decody raised his eyebrow. "Is anyone going with you?"

"Just me. Please, Dad? I've never been to California before and I really want to see my friend again." She gave him her puppy dog eyes that he had never been able resist before.

"Alright, alright," he sighed as she let out a cheer. "You have to call me when you cross into California then you have to call me again once you get to her house." Emma didn't bother correcting the gender of her friend. "I need to talk to you every day you're there so I know that you're safe." She looked up at her dad's eyes to see that he was completely serious. It was then that she remembered she was all that he had left. Her mother had left them and all of his family was across the world in England. The sad part was she wouldn't have much longer here; she will probably die before he does.

"Of course, Dad," she assured him, giving him a light hug. He held on a few seconds longer than she expected before letting her go.

"How's school going, Cupcake?" Gunner asked when they talked later that night.

"Oh, well school itself is okay…" she hesitated.

He caught it. "What's wrong?"

"It's just… Norman."

"Norman? Dylan's brother?" he questioned.

"Yeah, he's just being really rude to me, and-"

"You still like him?" Emma could hear an edge to his voice.

"No! No, I mean, not like how I like you," she defended herself quietly.

"I see." Gunner didn't say anything else, making her nervous. She could feel the distance between them.

"Seriously, I don't like him anymore. I did once, but then I met you and saw how a relationship should be. I'm really glad you opened my eyes."

"I am too," he said almost silently.

Emma had to change the subject. "Well about school, my spring break is coming up in a couple of weeks. I think I'm going to visit family in England." She wanted to keep her trip a secret.

"Are you from there?"

"Yeah, we moved to America a few years ago."

"Really? Wow, I'd never be able to tell. Do you have an accent?" She could hear him becoming less agitated and more interested.

"I do but I changed it so I wouldn't stick out so much in Oregon."

"Aww, come on. Say something for me, Cupcake."

"Maybe another time," she teased. "Are you in school?"

"Nah. I…graduated last year." His grin was apparent in his voice.

"How old are you?" Emma felt silly asking her boyfriend how old he is, but it was probably important information to know.

"I'm 18. I'll be 19 this summer. What about you?"

"I turned 17 a few weeks ago," she smiled.

"Ah, well happy belated birthday."

"So, what will you be doing in early March?" she asked curiously. She couldn't tell him she was going to visit him but she needed to make sure he was going to be home at that time.

"I'll probably be home doing little jobs here and there."

"Where exactly do you live? I might want to send you a postcard or something." She would pry it out of him if she had to. She didn't want to be aimlessly driving around a state as big as California.

"San Marcos, it's not too far from San Diego. It's cool 'cause there's always something to do if I get too bored."

"Nice. Maybe you'll show me around some day?"

"Definitely."

Emma smiled and imagined the look on his face when she turned up on his doorstep in a couple of weeks. "I can't wait. I have to go now. I miss you, Red."

"I miss you too," he cooed into the phone. "Bye."


	5. Surprise

Emma tried to focus her time until spring break planning the trip. She discovered she would drive 9 hours to Sacramento on the first day, stop for the night (preferably at a family owned motel) then drive 7 more hours to San Marcos. Hopefully those times would work, anyways. Her car was coming to the end of its days but she was sure it would take her all the way… maybe. She would stop for food before going on the road, once while driving, and once she stops both days.

Her fixation on the trip was a great sublimating tool to forget about Norman. The fact that Gunner knew she (still) liked him wasn't comforting. It was obvious Gunner didn't like it but what could she do? She was trying to stop, but it's hard to change how your heart feels. All she knew was that she definitely liked Gunner a lot more than Norman.

Norman didn't even try talking to her again after that one day in the hallway. Whenever their eyes crossed, he would be the first to look away. While they were both in the motel office, they never talked, even when they needed to convey information. Their friendship was long gone and they were merely people who worked and went to school together.

Emma huffed out a breath as she tried to close her suitcase. It was filled to the max with things she thought she would need. She was wondering whether or not she would really need the 10 pairs of shoes crammed in there when she heard a knock on her door.

"Are you about to go?" her father asked from the doorway.

"Once I close my bag," she sighed. Her dad chuckled a bit before walking into the room and pressing down on her bag.

"What are you bringing, your whole closet?" he grunted, trying to keep everything inside as Emma pulled the zipper around.

"Almost," she huffed as she sat down on her bed. She was exhausted from gathering her clothes and trying to stuff them into her bag. "I think I'll be leaving soon, it's a long drive."

Her dad's face became melancholy. "Make sure you're safe, okay? Don't go to any seedy places, don't give rides to strangers-"

"I know, Dad," she interrupted with a groan. "You've been telling me these things all week. I already showed you the route I'm going to take, where I'm going to spend the night, and my friend's number in case I don't answer my phone. I'm all set and you also have a plane to catch." He nodded his head; he was going to visit his sister in Manchester, England. "I will call you when I get the hotel later tonight. You'll probably still be on the plane anyway so I'll leave a message, okay?"

"Alright," he answered with a small smile. This was the first time Emma would ever go on a long trip without him. He knew his daughter didn't want him to coddle her for the rest of her life, however long that may be, so he knew he had to let her go. Giving his daughter another hug, he left to catch his flight out of the country.

Butterflies fluttered in Emma's stomach as she lifted her bag and her oxygen tank. By tomorrow night, she would be in Gunner's arms again. She held her breath when she turned the key in the ignition. The car stuttered for a second before starting. She slowly let out her breath as she peeled down her driveway and towards the interstate.

It was still early in the morning, so around noon she stopped for a bite to eat. She decided to call Gunner since she still didn't have his full address, just the town. He picked up after three rings.

"Hey, Beautiful," he greeted.

A smile broke out on her face that she couldn't stop. "A new nickname?"

"I have a few for you. Cupcake is the main one. Beautiful because you're stunning-" Emma was thankful he couldn't see her blush, "and anything else I decide to call you in the moment. That's okay, right?"

"It's more than okay," she admitted while trying to calm down the heat in her cheeks. He never failed to make her blush every day when they talked. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course! Anyone with eyes could see it. It's even more than that. You have that kind of beauty that's within, you know? You're so… good and kind and just amazing."

"Did you have a cupcake today?" she laughed as she shook her head.

"No, actually, I was going to make some later today though," he laughed back. "I'm being serious. You're the kind of person who's beautiful inside and out."

"Well thank you then," she smiled. "I think you're pretty great yourself."

"Really?" he snorted.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, I do think that. What do you think?"

He sighed before speaking again. "I'm not good like you, Emma. You're smart, you're still in school, you have a real job. I just travel around to process weed. What kind of a living is that? I know what everyone thinks about me, what Norma was telling you that day in the motel before we, you know, hooked up in the closet." Her waning blush worsened at those words and she could hear his grin, as if he knew that she was blushing right now. "I know she was telling you how much of a nobody I am, and it's true. I don't expect this relationship to last forever. It could, but then I think about what kind of a life I can give you and what kind of a life you deserve. They don't intersect at all, and that really means something."

"What does that mean?" she asked, more confused than she had ever been. "Are you trying to break up with me?"

"No, of course not. I really like you and all, but I can't help but think of the day that you'll break up with me," he sighed.

"What? Why are you saying this?"

"Emma, I don't know how else I can tell you this." She noticed he stopped using her nickname. "In the long term, I'm not the right guy for you-"

"Why can't I decide who the right guy for me is?" she snapped, cutting him off. "You keep spouting off this bullshit of not being good enough for me, but what if I feel like I'm not good enough for you?"

"Why would you think that?" he asked incredulously.

"I have CF, Gunner. My life expectancy is limited to 10 more years, if that. I can't provide a life for someone. By the time I'm ready to marry, I'd only be able to stay around for a few more years. Do you think I want to burden someone with loving me and having to watch me die? They could be out loving someone else who can stay with them for 60 more years." She was crying now, her tears running off her face and staining her shirt.

"Emma…" he said quietly.

"And then there's you. You're so handsome; you could get any girl you want. You're going to find someone, someone much prettier than me, and live until you're old and grey. You're going to forget about me because that's all anyone can do."

"Emma, please stop," he softly begged. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for all of this to come out. I honestly don't see you that way and I didn't know you had so many insecurities."

"They're not insecurities, they're the truth," she choked out a laugh while trying to dry her face with her sleeve.

"You're going to find someone to love you for the rest of your life, whether it's me or some other lucky guy," he insisted. "Even if it's not me, I'm not going to forget about you. I could never forget about you, Cupcake, okay?" She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Even if you die long before I do, our time together wouldn't have been a waste. It means something; you mean something to me and everyone you touch, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured, her tears slowly coming to a stop. They were both silent for a minute before she remembered why she called. "That went so off topic but I actually called to get your address."

"Yeah?" he questioned, his voice still a bit scratchy from the previous conversation.

"My plane is about to leave for England and it costs a fortune to call overseas so I need you to text me it right after we hang up, okay?" Emma tried to forget about their previous conversation. It opened up her weakest spot and was painful to talk about.

"Yeah, I'll do that. I'll talk to you whenever you come back to the States then, I guess?"

"You should wait for me to call you, but I'll call the second I'm back. Bye, Red, don't forget to text!"

"Bye, Cupcake," he chuckled before hanging up.

Emma had to take a second to let out a breath. The conversation got really heavy really fast and she still wasn't over it. She was surprised someone like Gunner was insecure; she thought trimmers were chill all the time. She then realized that she couldn't judge a person for what they appeared to be. If she didn't want Gunner judging her for the oxygen tank she carried everywhere, she shouldn't judge him for the pot he uses almost every day.

By the time she made it inside the restaurant and was looking at the menu, her phone dinged, signaling an incoming text. She sighed, relieved Gunner had pulled through in texting his address and excited in surprising him tomorrow. Especially after this fight today, they needed to see each other to talk it through more. They can't just sweep it under the rug.

The rest of the trip went smoothly. Emma drove for five more hours before stopping at a small motel just out of Sacramento. She was tempted to talk to Gunner again but she'd already told him she wouldn't be able to talk for the week. She read over their previous texts instead, but there weren't many since they preferred to hear each other speak. Before calling it a night, she called her dad. She was surprised that he actually answered.

"Emma? Are you okay?" he asked slightly frantic.

"Yes, Dad, of course," she chuckled. "I'm just calling to tell you I'm safe and I'm about to go to sleep."

"I probably should too," he sighed. "It's almost morning but I slept on the plane so I wouldn't be jetlagged."

"Alright, I'll call you again tomorrow, Dad. Goodnight." Emma got into bed, both excited and nervous to see her boyfriend again.

Bright and early the next day, Emma was out of the motel and on the road again. She followed the highway straight towards San Marcos. Everything was going fine until she decided to stop for food in Los Angeles.

The traffic had been so bad and her stomach growled so much that she finally turned off the road to an In-N-Out Burger. She parked the car and went inside to indulge in the greasiest food she'd had in a while.

Satisfied with her meal, she tried to start the car again but it made a horrible sound before going silent again. Panic rising, she tried again but the car refused to start. Finally, the car sputtered its last breath before completely dying.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she muttered desperately while trying to think of what to do. She was almost a thousand miles away from home with no way to return. Unless…

She quickly dug through her bag for her cellphone, relieved once in was in her hands. She dialed a well-memorized number and held her breath as the phone rang.

"Emma? I thought you couldn't call me in Europe?" Gunner answered on the first ring.

"Yeah, about that… I'm actually in LA right now," she bit her lip.

"What?"

"I was going to go to your house and surprise you later tonight," she admitted, disappointed that she couldn't surprise him now.

"Wow really? You wanted to spend your spring break with me?"

"Of course. I really miss you and this is the only time I can come see you other than summer," she sadly smiled. After this, they would have to go another few months without seeing each other.

"That's awesome. But why are you calling me now? Isn't this ruining the surprise?" he chuckled.

"My car… it won't start anymore so I'm stuck in LA right now," she confessed. "I didn't know who else to call."

"Wait, where exactly are you?" She could hear rumbling as he got up and moved things around.

"I'm at In-N-Out on Sunset Boulevard. Why?"

"I'm coming to get you. I don't want you stranded alone in a city like LA. I'll be there in like an hour and a half, okay? Hang tight, Cupcake," he said before hanging up.

Emma decided to stay in her car while waiting for Gunner. She'd already eaten so she didn't want to go back into the store. Since she didn't know LA at all, she didn't want to go roaming in case she got lost and Gunner couldn't find her.

Just over an hour later, Gunner's green Jeep pulled up into the spot next to hers. They got out of their cars at the same time and met behind his. She immediately leaned into his arms.

"Hey Cupcake," he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks for coming, Red." She turned her head to face his. They smiled at each other for a second before he leaned down to capture her lips. Emma slowly lost herself in the kiss until she heard a noise behind her. She turned to see an angry mother pulling her young child away from them. Emma realized that public displays of affection, while great for those participating, are less than welcomed by the general public.

"Come on, let's go," Gunner said lowly with a jerk of his head toward his car.

"What about my car?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I called a mechanic; he'll take the car down to my place and we can sell it." Emma's face dropped. She didn't want to lose her baby. "It's okay, you can get a new car back in Oregon. This one is definitely dead now."

"Okay…" she said lightly, letting Gunner pull her into the passenger seat of his car. She took one last look at her orange car before they pulled away from the parking lot. "I'm just gonna miss it, you know? It was my first car and all," she mumbled, staring at the palm trees on the strip. That was a sight not normally seen in White Pine Bay.

"I know. I'm sorry. But if it wasn't for your car not starting the first time, we might not have gotten together," he grinned at her. She had to smile back and took his right hand in hers.

"That's true. Even though you cost me my car, I'm glad I got you." At a red light, Gunner quickly leaned over and kissed Emma. "Pay attention to the road," she laughed when the light turned green.

"How can I when I have my beautiful girlfriend next to me again?" Emma bit her lip when his words brought back their fight yesterday. He felt her tense so he rubbed her hand with his fingers. "About yesterday, I'm seriously so sorry," he said in a solemn voice.

"Let's not talk about it right now," she whispered, looking at their connected hands. They were sitting on his lap, so she unclasped her hand from his and began to caress his thigh. His breathing began to pick up and he quickly looked down at her hand before focusing on driving again. Her hand began moving higher, her touch feather light.

"I thought you didn't want me distracted," he snickered but gave no resistance to her actions. They both bit their lips when she finally reached the growing bulge in his pants. "Just let me pull over first," he muttered seriously. He speedily found an empty parking lot that wasn't near any busy streets. He turned to face her just as her hand reached his button.

Gunner leaned over the center console to bring their lips together. Flinging their seatbelts off, they leaned in closer to each other. She fumbled as she tried to unbutton his pants with one hand before he quickly did it himself. His hands then reached across to her, one cupping her face while the other cupped her breast. She let out a gasp as her hand snaked down the front of his pants, feeling how hard he was.

"Let's go into the back," he mumbled against her lips and she instantly agreed. Instead of having to leave the vehicle, they both tumbled awkwardly into the back seat, laughing along the way. As soon as they were situated, their laughter ended and the passion came back. Their lips connected while their hands searched each other's bodies. Both their shirts were flung into the front seat before long and Gunner's pants were down to his ankles. Still passionately kissing him, Emma pulled his underwear down to set him free. His dick was captured in her hand seconds later and she began a slow tug. He let out a long moan and rested back on the headrest. "It's been too long," he panted, suddenly wondering why he didn't crack the windows before starting this.

"It's only been a few weeks," she teased before leaning back and taking a good look at him. He was completely naked from the thighs up, his pants and underwear discarded on the lower part of his legs. His length was so swollen and pointed straight up at her. She suddenly had an urge that she never had before, her mouth watering at the thought. "Can I…?" she started as she began to lean down. Eyes widening, Gunner quickly nodded and put a hand on her back. She eyed his cock for a second before leaning down and taking the tip in her mouth. His hand went to her head, fingers entangling with her hair, but he didn't put any pressure on her. She swirled her tongue around the head, trying to get used to the feeling. Her hand moved lower as she took more into her mouth. She realized it wouldn't all fit so she moved her hand and head in sync, starting to build up a rhythm. All that was heard in the car were Gunner's moans and soft sucking sounds. He ran his hand along her jaw, feeling it stretch to accommodate him.

"Oh, Cupcake. You should stop," he let out a heavy breath as he tried to lift her head up.

She looked up at him concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he laughed between breaths. "Not at all. It was too good and I don't want this to be over too soon."

Emma nodded her head and sat back. His chest heaved as his eyes trailed down to her breasts before connecting with her eyes. He leaned forward again to start another kiss, lightly pushing her down until she was lying on the seat with her head near the door. Their tongues explored each other's mouths as his hands kneaded her breasts. She took it upon herself to unbutton her pants first and shove them off her legs along with her panties. Her legs parted and accepted Gunner's body between them. Before they could go any further, he pulled back.

"I should've done this before but I didn't have them with me," he explained as he finally fully took off his pants and took his wallet out. Comprehension crossed her face when he pulled out a condom. He quickly slipped it on before leaning back down to Emma. Her legs crossed behind his back as he positioned himself. "Ready?" he asked faintly.

She nodded and pulled in down to another kiss. He took that moment to finally enter her, causing them both to gasp. He joined them together before pulling out to repeat the process again. Emma made mewing sounds as he began to thrust harder against her but still rather slow. Her eyes closed in bliss before she realized what an uncomfortable position they were in. Every time he pushed forward, her head would bang into the door.

"Red, let's switch," she suggested. He looked into her eyes with slight confusion before pulling out and sitting back. "That position was uncomfortable," she explained as she straddled his lap.

"Alright then," he smiled before taking her lips again. She carefully sat on him, loving the way it felt when he slid inside her again. In this position, he was much deeper than he was before and it made her feel extra full. His hands went to her hips to help her, and soon she was bouncing fiercely in his lap. His hips lifted up to meet hers as she went down, and both pulled away at the same time to create the most delicious friction. Sweat trickled down their bodies from the stuffy car, which only provided more lubrication. Emma moved closer so that their chests were rubbing against each other, stimulating both their nipples. Moans wouldn't stop coming out of their mouths and it got to the point where they couldn't stop even if they wanted to. She tightened up as she reached her orgasm, letting out a silent scream. Gunner gripped her hips tighter and furiously bounced her on him to reach his own end. His mouth opened into an O as all his muscles tightened. Emma lightly rocked on top of him after, trying to catch her breath. "You have to get off," he gasped, making her lean back to look at his face.

"What?"

"The condom, I have to take it off." Emma wordlessly climbed off his lap and collapsed into the seat beside him. He took off the condom and stuffed it back in the wrapper. He put it in the front cup holder when he couldn't find anywhere else to put it. "That was insane," he panted, looking back at Emma.

She smiled at him before letting it drop. "It's so hot in here, I literally feel like I'm gonna die."

He laughed at her as he cracked the windows a bit. "So what, you don't like having sex with our clothes on or in a car. Would you rather do it in a freezer?"

She giggled, shaking her head as they tried to locate their clothes. Once they were dressed again, they crawled back into the front and Gunner started the car. "I'm glad we got that out of the way because if we waited until we were at my house, everyone in my neighborhood would hear us."

Emma blushed. "Were we really that loud?"

"Oh yeah. But I think we can keep it down for the rest of the week, right?" he raised his eyebrows.

She snorted. "We can try."


	6. Lovely

"So how were you going to surprise me?" Gunner asked as he pulled out of the lot to get back on the highway. "Were you just going to show up at my house?"

"Pretty much," Emma shrugged. "I had your address so I just thought I'd knock on your door."

"It's a good thing my other girlfriend wasn't there then," he laughed but stopped once he saw her raised eyebrow. "It's a joke… you're the only one for me." He put his hand on top of hers and smiled when she turned hers around so they were holding hands. They fit perfectly.

"So this is an exclusive relationship?" she questioned, looking at his profile as he drove.

"Definitely, unless you have any other boyfriends I should know about," he grinned at her before paying attention to the road again.

"No, of course not. But about that Norman thing-" his fingers tensed a bit in hers, "-there's honestly nothing going on with him. I'm just trying to be his friend but he thinks I still like him. I tried to tell him about you but he insulted me so I'm really over him," she promised.

Gunner glanced at her before nodding. "It's okay. I'm just jealous because you're with him all the time while I'm all the way down here. I wish I could see you more."

"Same. I guess we'll have to make up lost time this week." They both shared knowing smirks as their hands tightened their hold on each other.

They stayed silent for most of the trip, their hands moving together when they hit bumps while Ed Sheeran lightly crooned in the background. After they hit a particularly large pothole, Gunner looked at Emma because she pulled her hand away.

"You should find a bathroom for me," she said tightly, putting her hands in her lap.

"Right now?"

"Yes, right now! I really have to go," she slightly whined.

"Alright, alright. Let me find a rest stop first." He drove a bit faster when he noticed Emma rocking in her seat; she must have to pee badly. She let out a happy sigh when they spotted one and he started to get off the highway. She jumped out of the car before it fully stopped and ran towards the restrooms. He decided this would be the best time to throw out the used condom.

It wasn't too long before Emma was making her way back to the car. Gunner was leaning on side, smirking at her. "Shut up," she whined, opening the passenger door. "It was an emergency."

"I didn't say anything," he smiled at her before starting the car again. They drove in silence again, just enjoying each other's company. They tried to soak up the feeling since most of the time they would be apart. "So Emma," he started once they were within city limits of San Marcos. "What do you want to do this week?"

"I don't know, as long as I'm with you it doesn't matter what we do," she said honestly.

"Alright, but I was thinking maybe it's time we actually go on a date, you know?" Butterflies rose in her stomach. A date? She'd never actually been on one, even though she now had a boyfriend.

"I'd like that," she nodded.

"There's a beach 30 minutes from my house. We could grab dinner then maybe go for a walk?"

"That sounds perfect," she smiled. "You know, I've never been on a date before. Or asked out."

"Wow, those boys don't know what they're missing out on. I'm glad I'm your first."

"You're my first for almost everything," she blushed.

He held her hand. "Has everything been good so far?"

She nodded. "I'm glad we got together. And I can't wait for our date later."

"But first, I think you should meet my parents," he said as he pulled into his driveway. Emma suddenly got nervous. What if they didn't like her? What if they judged her? Gunner might accept her but that doesn't mean his parents had to. "Okay?" he asked concerned when he saw her face.

"Yeah, just a little nervous," she admitted, looking up at his house. It was medium sized house with a lawn in the front and a two-car garage. She noticed he parked in the driveway and quickly got out to open the door for her. What a gentleman. "They don't know I'm coming, right?"

"Nah, I just told them I was going to pick something up. They'll be surprised I brought back a girlfriend," he chuckled, holding an arm out for Emma to hook hers around. With one arm in his and one holding her tank, they walked up to his front door. "Hey, Mom, Dad, I have something to show you."

Shuffling was heard upstairs before a woman with long blonde hair appeared on the stairway. "Oh, hello," she said startled, looking Emma up and down before looking at Gunner with questioning eyes.

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Emma. Emma, this is my mom," he introduced them with his arm still linked to Emma's.

"Very nice you meet you," Emma squeaked out, holding out her hand to shake.

"Oh no, this is a hugging family," his mom smiled at her before stepping forward with arms outstretched. Emma unlinked her arm with Gunner's before wrapping it around his mother. "So, Emma, are you going to be staying with us?"

Emma's nerves struck again. "I hope that's okay, I didn't mean to intrude or anything-"

"Of course not. Gunner never told us he had a girlfriend," she shot a look at her son.

"It's kind of a long distance relationship, Mom. I didn't think you'd meet her so soon," he rubbed his neck as he explained.

"How long have you two been dating?" Emma could see her eyes flicking towards her tank and she couldn't blame her. It must seem such a curious thing to have to carry around.

"About a month," she answered, causing his mom's eyes to focus back on her face. "I know you want to ask so I'll just tell you," she chuckled a little. "I have cystic fibrosis and have to carry this oxygen tank with me."

"I see," his mom nodded, giving her a look of pity that Emma always hated.

Gunner could see how uncomfortable she was. "Where's dad?" he asked while wrapping an arm around Emma.

"He just went to the store or something. Just wait until he sees what you brought home," she smirked before walking away.

"Alright, well I'll get your bag from the car, you just wait here okay? Make yourself comfortable." He kissed her forehead before heading outside.

Emma looked around the house. It looked very homely with well-worn couch cushions and many pictures everywhere. She walked up to a display and saw a baby Gunner grinning back at her. He was adorable in a sailor outfit. His green eyes were shinning and his hair was a light blond back then. Though he was young, his lip was turned up in a slightly mischievous smirk.

"I was pretty cute, wasn't I?" She jumped in surprise, not expecting Gunner to be back yet.

"You still are," she confirmed, taking a last look at the picture before looking at the real thing.

"Here, let's take your stuff up to my room. Then we can choose what to wear then go on our date." She nodded and they headed upstairs. "What did you bring, your whole closet?" he asked, surprised by the weight of her bag.

"That's what my dad said," she laughed.

"Great minds think alike," he sighed, finally getting the bag to the top of the stairs. "You're lucky we're dating because I definitely would've made you carry this up."

"You'd make a girl carry her things upstairs?" she gasped sarcastically.

"If she brought her whole wardrobe, yes." They laughed and he guided her to his room. It was simply decorated, white walls with blue carpet and green sheets on his bed.

"Really?" she raised her eyebrow, pointing at a poster of Bob Marley with Rastafari designs.

"Like that's really surprising to you," he snickered. He put her bag on his bed and opened it up. "Let's see, we're going to walk on the beach, so we should wear something we don't mind getting dirty."

"Okay, how about I wear this dress then?" She pulled out a dark violet maxi dress. "And these flip-flops?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna grab some things and change then." He walked out of the room so she assumed she should change. First taking off her tubes, she took her shirt off and began to take off her pants before the door opened again.

"That was quick," she smiled before freezing. The person in the doorway wasn't Gunner. She quickly grabbed the dress on the bed and held it up to cover herself.

"Wow, sorry, I'm looking for my son?" The guy, who Emma assumed was Gunner's dad, had raised eyebrows but otherwise seemed pretty embarrassed. His hair was a dusty brown and age lines were starting to appear on his face.

"Um, he j-just left to g-get something," she stuttered, clutching the dress closer to her.

"Dad?" a voice said outside the room.

"You've got company, I see," he said gruffly, finally moving out of the doorway so Gunner could see Emma.

"Oh, that's Emma. She's my girlfriend," he explained as he walked up to Emma. "How about you go change in my bathroom there," he suggested, nodding towards another door in the room. She nodded and backed her way towards the bathroom, her eyes flitting between Gunner and his father. She closed the door behind her and let out a long breath. Their voices could still be heard from inside the room. "Dad, did you knock first?"

"I didn't expect to see that in here," he tried to defend himself. "Since when do you have a girlfriend?"

"For like a month." Emma could practically hear the eye roll in his voice. "We're going on a date soon so don't worry about dinner or anything."

"Is she staying here?" He probably noticed the open bag on the bed.

"Yeah, she's spending her spring break here."

"How old is she?" By now, Emma was already dressed but she didn't want to face his dad so soon. Her cheeks were still red.

"She's 17. I'm not robbing the cradle or anything."

"I don't know, she looks pretty young. What's that?" Emma listened harder, not able to see what they were looking at.

"It's an oxygen tank. She has cystic fibrosis," Gunner explained. She forgot she'd unhooked herself from her tank and left it in the room.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. Dad, we're gonna go now so… try not to embarrass us anymore," Gunner said so lowly she had to strain to hear.

"Whatever. Hey, you can share the pot if you want but don't use it all, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Emma heard the bedroom door close so she took it as her cue to get out of the bathroom. Gunner took one look at her and laughed. "Your face is so red right now. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he tried to stop laughing when he saw the glare she shot him. "Really, I'm sorry he saw you like that. I'm supposed to be the only one to see you shirtless," he smirked.

"Oh whatever. When are we leaving?" She could still feel the heat on her face and neck so she tried to cool it.

"Right now if you want to," he shrugged, holding out a hand. She slipped on her flip-flops before putting her hand in his. He had a duffle bag in his other arm.

It took thirty minutes of driving until they could see the beach again. "Wow, this looks so much better than Oregon beaches," Emma marveled at the fine grains of sand, whereas White Pine Bay had more rocks.

"Yeah, I know this little Italian restaurant I think you'll love. You like Italian, right?" he glanced at her in the passenger seat before pulling into a parking lot.

She nodded and they made their way into the restaurant. It had an authentic brick oven where the heavenly smell of freshly baked pizza made it's way into their noses. "I think I need a pizza," she said mesmerized and he agreed. They decided to split a Hawaiian pizza. They laughed and ate, marveling in the amount of free time they would have together for the whole week.

They eventually found themselves walking along the beach at sunset, their toes sinking in the sand. They found a stretch that was empty of people.

"It's just so beautiful here," Emma sighed, hooking her arm with Gunner's.

"Actually, I was thinking of moving up to Oregon," he said quietly.

Emma stopped walking. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I mean, I was thinking of starting my own business up there or something, buying a house, being close to you," he nudged her shoulder. She couldn't stop smiling. "I'd need a lot of money though so it might take a while."

"That's just so… awesome," she laughed, rubbing his arm.

"Here, I brought a blanket for us to sit on and watch the sunset." He opened the duffle bag he brought and pulled out a large blanket. He spread it out on the sand and patted it so she would sit down on it. They leaned back into each other's arms. Emma looked up at his profile, memorizing the curve of his nose and the plump of his lip.

"Have you ever had sex on the beach," she whispered in his ear.

He looked at her for a second. "No," he chuckled. "Why, do you want to?"

She bit her lip and nodded. His gaze dropped to her lip before he also nodded. He leaned so that he was on top of her before he started a kiss. Their hands slowly undressed each other without regard to whether other people would be walking by. He reached into his pocket to pull out a condom, which she was glad for because she completely forgot. He slipped it on and crouched in front of her open legs.

"You're so lovely, you know that?" he whispered. Her fingers rubbed his cheeks before he took her hands in his own and put them above her head. Finally, their bodies connected in the most intimate of ways. This time was different. There was no rush, the sounds of the crashing waves slowing their movements. Emma found she liked sex like this also, slow and intimate. It was just her and Gunner and all the time in the world.

Afterwards, as they pulled on their clothes and watched the stars, Gunner whispered in her ear, "I think I'm falling in love with you."


	7. Quiet

By the time Emma and Gunner made it back to his house, it was past midnight. The house was silent so they tiptoed up to his room. He wrapped the blanket into a ball and placed it in the corner of his room along with the duffle bag.

"Am I allowed to sleep in here?" she whispered to him as she pulled out a tee shirt and shorts to sleep in.

"Of course, my parents don't care," he replied before turning out the light. They crawled into his full sized bed and settled under the covers. She unhooked herself from her tank then turned to face a smiling Gunner. "I can't wait to wake up with you tomorrow morning," he sighed, scooting closer to her so they could cuddle. She hummed her agreement. "I really don't want you to leave."

"I'll be here for a whole week," she reminded him as she turned around so her back was on his front. "But after that…"

"We'll figure it out," he assured her, kissing her cheek. "Maybe I can ask Dylan for a permanent job up there or something. I heard there's some open spots."

"About that," Emma turned her head so she could see him, "this job isn't exactly safe, right?"

"Well as a trimmer, it's not that dangerous. Once you get to Dylan's level, you always need to keep an eye out for something," he admitted, tightening his hold on her.

"I don't know if I like that," she said lowly. "I really don't want anything to happen to you."

"If I play it right, and have the right people behind me, I should be fine. Besides, I'd rather risk my life a little and get to see you everyday than have to be hundreds of miles away missing you. Don't worry about me, this will all work out," he nuzzled his face into her hair.

She nodded but was still thinking about his safety even after his breathing had evened out. So far, she had lived with the expectation that everyone else would outlive her. Even though her town was run by the drug business, which many people had died from, she never really cared about any of them. And then Gunner came along, making her question which one of them will live longer. She hoped she wouldn't find out for a while.

The next morning, Emma woke up with a smile. She'd had a pleasant dream of Gunner and her having a stroll in the countryside. She grinned as she turned over, expecting her arms to wrap around her boyfriend but instead they fell onto the cold sheets. Her eyes shot open as she realized she was in the room alone. The covers rustled as she sat up, squinting as the morning light glimmered through the windows.

"Gunner?" she called out quietly, not wanting to wake up anyone else in the house.

"Hey, I'm here." He was in the adjacent bathroom. "I was gonna get breakfast and bring it up. Is pancakes and coffee okay?"

"Yeah, that's great," she smiled. She leaned back and snuggled back into the covers as he left the room.

Sitting quietly in the empty room, Emma couldn't help but think about their conversation last night. She really wanted Gunner to move up to White Pine Bay but she didn't realize how dangerous his business was. She didn't want the day to come when he got on someone's bad side and is left burning in the town square.

The door opened again before she could think up even more horrible scenarios. Gunner held a tray stacked high with pancakes and two full cups of coffee. The delicious buttery smell reached Emma's nose before the strong coffee scent. For some reason, her mouth twisted down into a grimace before she had to cup her hand over it. Her boyfriend stared at her in confusion as she bolted out of the bed and into the bathroom without even bothering to close the door. The sounds of her retching echoed throughout both rooms, making him put down the food to follow her. She was sprawled in front of the toilet, her hair haphazardly around her, both in the toilet and out. He reached forward and gathered her hair, placing it gently on her back.

"Get my tank," she gasped out when she could. He left her for a few seconds as he grabbed the orange tank and brought it into the bathroom with him. They worked together to place the tubes into her nostrils. She tried taking deep breaths but the smell of the vomit in front of her was making her gag. Gunner noticed and flushed the toilet, trying to clear the air a bit. After a while, the gagging stop and Emma was just breathing hard.

"Are you okay now?" he asked quietly while lightly rubbing her back. She nodded, not trusting herself to talk yet. "Do you want to rinse your mouth out and get back in bed?"

Instead of answering, she slowly started to stand, trying to keep her movements smooth and slow. He kept a hold of her arm to keep her steady because she seemed unnerved by the event that just occurred. He made sure her tank followed them on their way to the sink while she washed her mouth with water, and then back to the bed where she crawled back under the covers. She almost started retching again when the smell of the coffee wafted over to her.

"I'll get you some water instead, okay?" he said quickly as he picked up the tray to take out of the room. She nodded and watched him leave, holding back tears. Not only was that painful and disgusting, but also really embarrassing. Gunner only wanted to have a nice breakfast in bed and she had to go and ruin it all. She closed her eyes and focused on just breathing the pure oxygen from her tank. By the time he came back, Emma was feeling fine again.

"Thank you," she gave him a bashful smile when he handed her the glass of water.

"Yeah, no problem. What was that?"

"I really don't know. The coffee smell was just really strong and I just had the urge to throw up. Maybe the pineapples on our pizza last night weren't good," she suggested.

"Maybe… So you're okay now?" The worry in his voice made her heart melt.

"Yes, I think so. I kinda want to take a shower and brush my teeth though," she admitted.

"Do you want to eat after? I still have the pancakes."

"No, I'm not really hungry anymore. I'm sorry." She started feeling bad again.

"No, no, that's totally fine. While you're showering I'll just go eat, I'm still really hungry," he tried to assure her.

Emma gave a small smile and nodded her head. "I'm really sorry for that," she said quietly.

He reached out to hold her hand. "Seriously, don't worry. It happens to all of us sometimes." She raised a questioning eyebrow. "Maybe not something like that but you know what I mean. When you're hungry again, just tell me and I'll make something for you, alright?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead and left to eat.

She knew why he didn't kiss her on the lips; she still smelled like puke. She shuffled through her bag for a change of clothes and a toothbrush. She made sure the door was closed before beginning to get undressed. After making sure the water was nice and hot, she slipped into the shower and let the water soak her hair. She'd been in such a hurry to the toilet that some of the vomit had gotten into the strands. She found some men's shampoo in the shower caddy and massaged it into her scalp. She recognized the scent as one that Gunner frequently smelled like. She wondered if it was strange that this made her feel closer to him.

Once her hair was fresh and clean again, she wrapped herself up in one of his towels. Pinning her hair up, Emma began brushing her teeth at the sink. She realized that his room and bathroom were a lot cleaner than she'd expect for a teenage boy. In fact, they might even be cleaner than her room. She was thankful he hadn't been to her house yet.

"Hey, Emma, are you still in there?" a voice called from outside the bedroom.

"Yeah, I'm about to get dressed." She'd been lost in thought so she quickly rinsed her mouth out, glad to be feeling clean again. She slipped into the change of clothes she brought with her before leaving the bathroom. Gunner was sitting on his bed looking on his phone but his gaze landed on her once he heard her enter.

"Are you up for seeing a movie?" he questioned as he pocketed his phone.

Emma put her nasal cannula back on before slipping on some shoes. "Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"Whatever you want is cool with me. There's a new romantic comedy playing down the street," he suggested.

"You want to see that?" she snorted before sitting next to him on the bed.

"I really don't care what we see, as long as it's with you." He held her hand and smiled before standing up. "Come on, it starts in like 15 minutes." They both grabbed their phones and some money, even though Gunner told her he would be paying, and made their way out of the house.

"Where are your parents?" she asked quietly. She was still embarrassed about how she met his father yesterday.

"I think they're having some fun time which is why we need to leave the house," he laughed a little. Emma sent him a questioning look. "I heard some things while I was eating breakfast. That's why I was looking up movie times."

"Oh, wow." Emma couldn't imagine hearing her dad doing that. After her mother had left, he never really went on dates; he just became more immersed in his taxonomy work. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Just one, an older brother. His name is River."

"River?"

"My family isn't a conventional one," he chuckled. "I mean come on, my name is Gunner. How many guys do you know named Gunner?"

"Just you," she gave his hand a squeeze. They decided to walk to the movie theater since it was only a few blocks away. "This is going to sound really stupid, but I should probably know your last name."

Gunner let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, probably. It's Torres, Gunner Torres. And your last name is…?"

"Decody."

"Glad we got this cleared up, Miss Decody," he teased her and offered his arm. Their arms linked and they walked up to the ticket booth. "Hi, we'd like two tickets to whatever rom-com you have playing next," he stated as he pulled some money out of his wallet.

"Seriously?" the ticket guy asked. When Gunner shrugged, he sighed and printed out two tickets. "Just go to theater 3 on your left, then," he said as he handed them their tickets.

Once they got inside, they shared a laugh. "I feel like that was kinda rude," Emma whispered to him.

"Nah, he pretty much just recommended a movie to us. How is that rude?"

Emma shook her head and they entered the theater. She was surprised when he started pulling her to the back row. "What are you doing?" she hissed out. The previews were already playing.

"It'll be better in the back, come on," he urged her to go to the very last row.

"But the screen is so small back here," she whined, but he wouldn't listen.

"I promise you'll like it." She rolled her eyes and finally gave in, letting him guide her down the row with no resistance. They sat in the direct center, right below the projector. Seconds later, the movie began playing.

Only after a few minutes in, it was obvious Emma liked it a lot better than Gunner. He found her reactions a lot more interesting than the sob story playing on the screen at the moment. He watched how her eyes twisted in anticipation as the heroine and her family got into a car, only for an accident to ensue. Her mouth turned down into a frown before biting her bottom lip. He was entranced in everything that was Emma. His hand slid across the armrest into her lap. She was startled for a second because she was so immersed in the movie. When her attention was back on the movie, he leaned over and began to kiss her shoulder.

"Gunner, what are you doing?" she whispered over to him, her eyes still on the screen in front.

"You're so beautiful, really," he said between kisses on her cheek. She looked over at him with a disapproving look but he took the opportunity to kiss her lips. She pulled back after a second but he leaned over further to start another kiss. This time, she followed his lead, forgetting about the movie for a second. "Isn't this better?" he whispered, causing her to giggle loudly.

An older woman a few rows in front of them turned around, glaring at them. Gunner pulled back a bit and gave the woman a reassuring smile. She shook her head before looking back at the screen. "I guess we have to be really quiet," he breathed into her ear, almost making Emma laugh again. Their lips were pressed together again and their tongues began to join in. Their hands started to caress each other lightly, making them want each other more. When Gunner's hand rounded over her breast, she had to choke back a moan.

"I don't think I can be quiet," she confessed, pulling back. He shot her a confused look, like a puppy that had just been scolded. "I think we should do this later, when we don't have to worry about others."

He nodded his head but looked disappointed. "Yeah, okay." When he began shifting in his seat, she noticed his problem. She chewed on her lip, looking at the screen, the woman in front of them, and then her boyfriend. Her hand crawled onto his lap and began gently massaging it. He sharply turned his head to her. "What are you…?"

"You can be quiet, right?" she asked. He looked at her hand before nodding. "I just feel bad making you sit through this whole movie before we can do something about this." She quietly began unbuttoning his pants.

"Yeah," he breathed out almost silently. Once his jeans were open, she slipped his erection out of his boxer briefs. She discovered the armrest could be raised so she moved it so she would have more room. She gave him a few strokes while watching his expressions. He looked relieved and was biting his lip, but wasn't making any noises so she continued. She leaned down and took the tip into her mouth, causing Gunner to softly sigh. She pulled up and let some spit land on him so it would be easier. Taking him in her mouth again, she descended as far as she could before feeling discomfort. She was disappointed that so much was still left outside her mouth so she tried to take in more but began loudly choking instead. She tried to sit up again but Gunner pushed her onto his knees. He began to cough and shake his head, which she realized was to mask her own sounds.

"I'm sorry, keep watching," he gestured forward, keeping his eyes up front. The old lady must be looking back him, Emma thought, her hand on his thigh to keep herself from falling onto the floor. After a few seconds, he took the pressure off of her back and allowed her to look at his face. "Don't do that again," he quietly snickered at her.

Emma rolled her eyes and decided not to answer again. She put him back in her mouth and began to slowly bob, making sure to keep her teeth behind her lips. She didn't try to take as much of him in, fearing she'd start choking again. How suspicious would that be? Instead, she used one hand to rub the rest that wouldn't fit while the other began to gently play with his balls. She read somewhere that guys really liked that and from quiet groans coming from above she knew he loved it. Every so often, she changed her rhythm and pressure, eliciting more groans from Gunner. He was able to keep much quieter than Emma would have been able to, though. Eventually, he pulled her up a bit to whisper in her ear. "I'm almost there, I don't know if you want me to cum in your mouth or somewhere else. I don't want to surprise you."

She looked at him for a bit before nodding, her decision made. "It's okay," she whispered before getting back to work. She only did it for about ten more seconds before she felt him tense up. A warm liquid began filling her mouth, surprising her a bit. She pulled back until just the tip was in so she could still catch everything. Once he relaxed and she was sure he was done, she sat up and swallowed. It left a weird salty aftertaste that she didn't really like, but the look on Gunner's face was worth it. He looked like he was in total bliss and was trying to catch his breath. When he noticed she was looking at him, he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. Blushing, Emma smiled and looked away. "I'll pay you back later, okay? It'll be all about you," he promised. She nodded and he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"I guess we should watch the rest of this movie, huh?" she suggested, looking back at the screen. The main character was laughing with a guy she hadn't seen before. They had missed a lot of the plot.

"Yeah, we did pay for it," he quietly chuckled while closing his pants. His arm snaked around her shoulders and they leaned against each other while they tried to pay attention to the movie.


	8. Payback

When the movie finally let out, Emma and Gunner hurried out so they wouldn't have to encounter the old woman again.

"Well, that was a great movie," Emma sighed, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"If you say so," he chuckled, his hand griping her shoulder. "I don't think I saw a minute of it. I couldn't stop thinking of paying you back."

She looked down as her cheeks reddened. "I can't wait either. Other than that, what else do you want to do today?"

"I think it's safe to go back to my house, it's been over two hours. They can't be going at it for that long," Gunner snickered.

"Eww, Red. What's wrong with you?" she bumped his shoulder.

"What? It's true. I'm pretty sure my dad isn't a porn star," he laughed.

"That's so disgusting to think about."

"What, sex? We do it too. How do you think we got here?" he asked her.

"No, stop, I just don't want to think about our parents doing that," she whined, begging him to drop it.

"Sex is literally the most natural thing we could ever do. There's nothing wrong with it," he pressed, standing his ground.

"Okay, whatever, can we please talk about something other than your parents' sex life?"

She sounded like she was getting upset so he finally dropped it. "Alright, so I guess we can go to my house and just hang out or something then."

"I need to call my dad when we get there, okay?"

"That's fine. Do you want lunch or did I fill you up," he smirked. Emma glared at him and just shook her head, letting go of him and walking up ahead. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, you know that," he wrapped his arms around her waist and spoke into her ear. "Seriously, are you hungry?"

"A little bit," she reluctantly admitted. She didn't have breakfast because of the whole vomiting fiasco and her stomach felt rather empty now.

"How about I make you a sandwich or something and you can talk to your dad, huh?"

"Grilled cheese?" she asked hopefully.

"If you want it, of course," he kissed her cheek before moving to walk beside her. "I just have a few questions first." When she nodded, he continued. "When you said I was your first for almost everything, what did you mean?" They reached the house so they headed to the family room to sit down.

"Well, I only kissed one other person," she said hesitantly.

Gunner knew she was holding something back. "And that was…?"

"Norman," she sighed. He nodded and looked down. "It only happened twice and I initiated both of them. He acted like it never happened before telling me that he didn't like me."

"That's harsh," he commented.

"What about you? Obviously, I wasn't your first kiss?"

"Oh no," he laughed. "Um, I've kissed like five or six girls…"

The way he said it made Emma raise her eyebrow. "Any boys?"

He laughed and looked away. "Yeah, one. It was an experiment."

"Wow," she said, trying to imagine her boyfriend with another guy. "What about more than kissing?"

"I've had two girlfriends and I had sex with both of them, other than you," he admitted.

"You've only had sex with those two?" she asked. She felt slightly relieved when he nodded. At least he wasn't the type of guy to fuck anything with two legs. "You don't have any STDs or anything, do you?" she questioned, slightly worried. They did have sex twice without a condom and she gave him two blowjobs.

"I'm clean, trust me," he assured her. "I get tested every few months just to make sure."

"That's good, thanks."

"What about you?" he turned the question on her.

"I… I've never been tested but I don't think I need to. I mean I was pretty much a complete virgin to everything until I got with you," she said, slightly confused why he would ask her that.

"There are still diseases like herpes that you can get from mouth contact. How do you know Norman didn't have anything?"

He made a good point. "I-I don't," she admitted.

"Well do you know if he had anyone else he was doing stuff with?" he asked earnestly.

This was heading into dangerous territory. "Yeah, there's this one girl he hooked up with." She must have made a face because Gunner laughed.

"You don't like her?" he guessed.

"She slept with Norman while she had a boyfriend, how skanky is that?" she sneered, disgusted at the thought of Bradley.

"So then you could've gotten something," he reasoned.

"I haven't had any symptoms of anything though," she argued.

Gunner shrugged. "Not every case has symptoms, that's what makes it so dangerous sometimes. I'm not trying to convince you that you have an STD but I just want you to know it's possible."

"What should I do then?" she asked, worried. She kissed Norman two months ago. Could she have been going on for two months with a disease she didn't know she had?

"I can take you to Planned Parenthood, they have cheap STD tests. I'll even get tested with you so you know for sure that I'm clean," he suggested.

"Alright," she nodded. "I didn't really bring that much money with me though-"

"No, don't worry about that, I'll be paying," Gunner insisted.

Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not completely helpless, you don't need to pay for everything."

"No, I don't, but I want to. You drove all the way down here for me and I'm the one telling you to get tested." When she still protested, he pulled her into a hug to soothe her. "I'll let you pay for some other things, just not this, okay?"

"Okay." Being in Gunner's arms made everything better.

"Good, now I'm going to make your lunch, you can call your dad now." He got up and walked into the kitchen.

Since the house otherwise quiet, she decided to make the call in the room. It took a while for her dad to pick up, but he eventually did.

"Hello, Emma. You made it to your friend's house okay?" he asked, sounding like he was in the middle of relaxing.

"Relatively… my car actually broke down so he- they had to come and get me." She had slipped saying 'he'; she didn't want her dad to know she was staying with her boyfriend all week.

"Oh, I guess we'll have to find you a new car then. How are you getting back home?"

"I think they'll just drive me up," she said, not actually sure what was going to happen.

"What's her name again?"

"Umm… Jenna…?" her voice rose at the end, making it sound like a question.

"You tell Jenna she's welcome to stay at our house whenever she wants, okay?" her dad smiled on the line.

"Alright. Well, I'll talk to you later then, Dad." They said their goodbyes before hanging up.

Emma found Gunner in the kitchen, just finishing making a second grilled cheese sandwich. "Perfect timing," he smiled at her, getting another plate to put the food on. "What do you want to drink?"

"Water is fine." She took a seat at the table and thanked him when he set the food in front of her.

"Grilled cheese is actually my favorite too," he confessed as he took a big bite out of the sandwich. "Hey, do you want me to make some more cupcakes? I never did that day you called me and it's been a while since we've had some."

"Sure, I guess." Emma wasn't really into getting high but if it was something Gunner liked, she wanted to be a part of it too.

"Great. Do you want to make them with me later tonight?"

"Why not now?" she asked.

"I have some other plans for you," he grinned. "Come on, let's finish these real quick." He finished his food before she did so he started to clean up as she took her last bites.

"What's up?" she questioned, perplexed by his eagerness.

"My parents are gone and it's time for me to pay you back." Emma's stomach fluttered with excitement at his words.

"Oh. I see you really like going down on girls," she teased him.

"Not any girl; just you." Her heart was melting with every word he said so she stood up to give him a kiss. His hands went to her hips as hers locked around his neck. It was hard to keep the kiss going because they were both smiling so much.

"Come on, let's go to my room. I'd rather not get walked in on," he chuckled, pulling her in the direction of the stairs. She grabbed her tank and quickly followed him. Once they made it to his door, he leaned down to capture her lips again. They blindly opened the door and made it inside, not bothering to turn on the lights. He made sure he closed the door before leading her to the bed. Her knees buckled when they hit the edge, causing both of them to tumble onto it. Gunner's kisses began leading down her neck and along her collarbone.

"Don't give me another hickey," she breathed out heavily.

"Hmm?" he asked, half paying attention to her words and half paying attention to sucking the skin on her neck.

"The first time, you gave me a hickey and Norma saw it," she pushed him back a bit.

"What?" he laughed. "No I didn't… did I?"

"You did," she insisted. "You were sucking on my neck just like that and the next morning Norma asked me what it was."

"What did you tell her?" he smirked, finally stopping trying to mark up her delicate neck.

"I said I burned my neck with a curling iron or something," she shook her head. "It was so embarrassing and I think she knew I spent the night with you. I don't want your parents seeing that."

"Okay, okay. Can I give you hickeys in other places?"

"Like where?" she raised her eyebrow.

He smiled at her innocence. "Anywhere, really. If we stop talking, I can show you."

She nodded and he took that as the okay to start kissing her again. His lips traveled to her ear where he lightly bit on the lobe. Her breathing began to become uneven. His lips went down again, this time to the top of her breasts that were exposed from her shirt. Meanwhile, his hands crept beneath the bottom of her shirt, slowly pulling it up. He had to sit up to get her shirt off but as soon as it was over her head, his lips were sucking at her breasts again. He pushed the cup of her bra down to capture a nipple between his lips. By this time, Emma had wrapped her legs around his waist and was trying to create friction. He obliged, rolling his clothed hips against her a few times before focusing back on her chest. When he pulled the straps of her bra down, she helped by arching her back so he could unhook it.

"I want your shirt off too," she said softly once he threw her bra off the bed.

He moved up to rub his nose against hers. "This is all about you, though," he mumbled against her lips before dipping his tongue in her mouth.

Her hands gripped the back of his shirt and started to pull it up his back. "It turns me on when you're naked too," she breathed out once he moved away from her lips.

He threw his shirt off the bed as well. "In that case," he smirked, starting to unbutton his pants as well. They were kicked off the bed, left to be forgotten as Gunner got back to kissing down her body. His hands rounded the curve of her waist as his lips kissed between her breasts. He opened her pants while his mouth reached her hip. He began kissing and lightly nibbling the skin there, purposefully trying to leave a mark. Once he was satisfied with the mark there, he pulled her pants all the way off her legs. That left both of them in only their underwear, Gunner kneeling at the end of the bed with Emma's legs on either side of him. He took the left one in his hands and began kissing up from her feet. Once he reached her mid-thigh, he switched legs and started from the bottom of the right. Emma could feel her center pulsing from anticipation.

He thought for a second before pulling her to the edge of the bed. He knelt on the ground so that his face was level with her hips. He peeled her panties off so slowly Emma thought she was going to combust. Finally, Gunner placed both of her legs over his shoulders. He began giving gentle kisses on her inner thighs, only lightly touching her where she needed him. She threaded her fingers into his hair, urging him to move to her center. He smiled at her eagerness before placing a kiss on her throbbing clit. She let out a soft moan and loosened her grip on his head. He gave her a long lick, closing his eyes at the taste of his girlfriend. Emma spread her legs wider and began massaging her own breasts.

He stiffened his tongue and entered her, pressing his face further between her legs. When Emma moaned louder, he opened his eyes and saw her kneading her chest. He couldn't think of a hotter sight. He brought a hand up to begin rubbing on her clit. Her breath started to stutter and she tried to remember to breathe through her nose. His tongue started to move faster and twist around inside her. It felt great, but Emma wanted more.

"Can you switch that?" she said quickly. It took him a second to realize she'd spoken. He pulled back to look questionably up at her. She was slightly embarrassed by the wetness around his mouth, knowing it came from her. "Like can you use your fingers inside me and your mouth… up there?" she awkwardly asked.

He chuckled and nodded. Two fingers easily slid inside of her while his lips closed around her clit. She sighed and began running her fingers through his soft hair. He slipped in another finger after a bit and curled them all forward, searching for her G-spot. He knew he found it when her breaths came in short spurts and her fingers pulled hard on his hair. He flattened his tongue to massage her clit before stiffening it and making circles around it. Her hips circled on his face as well with jerky movements. He pistoned his fingers quickly, making her shriek. Her walls clamped down on his fingers, her entire lower body moving with it. He sat back and helped her through it by gently moving his fingers to her rhythm. When she was done, she glanced down to see Gunner biting his lip and gazing at her body.

"Come here," she said with a raspy voice, too weak to move herself. He leaned over her to reach her face, conveniently placing his hips between her legs. She locked them around him, allowing her to feel his hardness in his boxer briefs. His arms landed on either side of her head as he kissed her passionately. She almost cringed at the taste of herself but tried to ignore it as his tongue massaged her own. His hips started grinding against hers by themselves, making both of them moan. He put his head on her shoulder and began biting it as his hips sped up. "Gunner, I want you," she gasped, her body feeling electrified from the aftershocks of her previous orgasm.

"This is supposed to be for you," he groaned into her shoulder but didn't stop humping against her.

"Well I really need you inside me now, alright?" she almost whined.

He nodded and pulled away after a few seconds. Opening his nightstand drawer, he shuffled through it and pulled out a condom. Seconds later, his underwear hit the floor, the condom was on his cock, and he quickly thrust into her. The feeling was so intense for Emma she almost started crying. Gunner braced himself since he was standing on the floor while she was on the bed. His hands had an iron grip on her hips which he used to help thrust into her. They went at it for a few minutes, the squeaking of the bed the only noise in the room besides their moans and groans. When his leg began cramping up, he realized there had to be a better angle to do this.

He slowly pulled out after a particularly long pump. She began to complain but he cut her off by quickly flipping her onto her stomach. "Get up on your knees," he commanded. The sound of his voice and how roughly he handled her made Emma shiver with anticipation. She knew he didn't mean to but he usually treated her like glass. Moments like these reassured her that he didn't only think of her like that.

Keeping her head down, she propped herself up on her knees. His fingers glided over the curve of her hips as he positioned himself again. He eased himself in this time, relishing the feel of entering her from behind. She was so much tighter this way, almost making him cum on the spot. He gripped her hips tighter and started a slower rhythm than before, determined to make her come before him. A finger snaked down to her clit, causing her to moan against his sheets. As she got closer and her walls got tighter, Gunner quickened the pace. Just when he thought he couldn't hold it off anymore, Emma practically screamed his name as she fell over the edge. He let out a relieved groan as he came as well, his head falling back with his eyes tightly closed.

They stayed still for a few moments, trying to catch their breaths. When Gunner felt like he couldn't stand anymore, he gently pulled out before collapsing next to Emma on the bed. Her knees slid off the side of the bed so she was lying flat on her stomach. She didn't even bother turning over. He threw an arm over her and pulled her closer, needing to feel her body next to his again. She turned her head and they looked into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, he leaned forward to plant a kiss on her lips. Emma smiled and closed her eyes, content in lying in his arms. They both fell into a light sleep for a little bit before Emma shot up.

"What are you doing?" Gunner groaned, missing the warmth of her body.

"I just have to go to the bathroom. Besides, don't you have to clean up too?" she pointed out.

He looked down and remembered he was still wearing the condom. "Okay," he chuckled before getting up and following her to the bathroom. She went straight to the toilet while he quickly threw out the condom before going to the sink. Once she joined him at the faucet, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"After we make our cupcakes, do want to go to the beach? A bunch of my friends will be there," he murmured against her hair.

She looked at the time. It was only three in the afternoon. "Of course," she smiled. "I'd love to meet your friends."

"They'll love you," he said. "It's hard not to."


	9. Ex

Once they both got dressed, Gunner grabbed Emma's hand and quickly pulled her downstairs. He was very excited for his cupcake to finally see the process of making his special cupcakes.

"Do you want to make chocolate or vanilla cupcakes," he asked as he pulled out all the ingredients, including a large bag of weed.

"Doesn't matter, surprise me. Are we putting all of that into the cupcakes?" she questioned him. She knew it was almost impossible to overdose on marijuana but she didn't want to be taking too much at once and have another repeat of the first time she had a cupcake.

"Not all of it but we're going to make a lot too. Pretty much all my friends will be at the beach and it's rude not to share, right?" he grinned at her.

She grinned back and pulled up her sleeves; it was time to start baking. Emma was never a good cook but she thought baking would be different, easier somehow. Gunner was in charge of the first batch; it came out perfectly. As soon as they were out of the oven, her mouth was watering from the smell. She was surprised to find out the icing didn't have any pot in it. Gunner explained it would mess up the smooth consistency and coloring of white icing but she'd always assumed he liked everything with a side of weed.

Emma's batch came out very different. Parts of the cupcakes were clumpy from where she had failed to mix the weed in completely. The tops were slightly burnt and the middle underdone due to her mistakenly setting the oven to the wrong temperature and trying to compensate by leaving it in shorter.

She huffed when she took them out. The smell was not mouth watering at all. Gunner couldn't help but laugh at her disappointed look.

"Well at least we know who the chef in this relationship is," he teased her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"Oh shush, I can make some food?"

"Like what, cereal?"

Her elbow met his stomach when he laughed again. "Why don't you just make the cupcakes while I watch?"

He agreed and she moved to sit in a chair. She watched as he moved fluidly through the kitchen as if it was he belonged there. Emma would never know what that felt like with her atrocious cooking skills. She sighed; maybe if her mother hadn't left, she would know how to cook better.

"Why do you make cupcakes and not brownies? I thought everyone makes pot brownies?" she asked, watching him pull out yet another perfect batch.

"Brownies are more popular but since when am I one to follow the trend?" he shrugged. "I just like cupcakes more," he winked at her before going back to baking.

"You're so lucky you're cute and make killed cupcakes," she teased. "I probably wouldn't have given you a chance otherwise."

"Trust me, I'm thankful for being able to cook. I could've ended up like you." His tone was serious but his smile gave him away.

She just rolled her eyes. "So how many of your friends will be there?"

"Most of them, so like 30 or so." Her eyebrows rose. Thirty friends? She could barely keep one. "We pretty much take up a whole section of the beach but we're cool with the vendors so they don't care. I can't wait for you to meet them."

"Me too," she said quietly. She hoped they liked her. When it came down to it, they knew Gunner better and longer than she did and their disapproval could be devastating to their relationship.

"And we're… done," Gunner smiled, icing up the last set of cupcakes. "Want to try one before we go?"

"I don't know," she eyed the confectionary suspiciously. "They're so addicting, I don't want to overdose or anything."

"It's impossible to overdose on weed; I'd know." She nodded; if anyone knew about marijuana overdosing, it would be Gunner. "You can have one of your cupcakes, I don't think you'd be wanting another one."

"Where do you get off on teasing me," she giggled, deciding to take a small bite out of one of her better-made cupcakes. It didn't taste bad at all; it just didn't have the mouth-watering taste of his cupcakes.

They put the cupcakes into containers and lugged them to his Jeep. All Emma could think about during the drive was whether or not his friends would like her. She was never good at making friends. Would she fit in? They probably spent their whole lives together while she'd only been in Gunner's life for a month. By the time they pulled up to the beach, she had bitten her nails down as far as she could.

She looked up when her hand was pulled away. "Don't worry," Gunner said, his voice serious but soft. She looked down; embarrassed he could see her freaking out. "Just be yourself, that's all you gotta do."

She nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. They went to the backseat to grab the cupcakes before walking hand in hand to the sand. A bunch of people were playing beach volleyball while some were gathered around in a circle. She could hear the strumming of a guitar as they got closer.

"Ay, Gunner!" a guy in the circle called out to them. Her boyfriend squeezed her hand for a second before letting go and walking up to his friend. They did a weird handshake that she bet was made when they were kids before cracking up.

"Who's your lady friend?" another guy smirked, his eyes on Emma. Soon she was the center of attention, making her palms sweaty and her grip on the cupcake box tighten.

"This is Emma, my girlfriend." Gunner wrapped his arm around her shoulders and spoke with an easy smile. "She's here to visit for the week so don't bore her."

"Oh we'd never," the first guy scoffed. "I'm Peeta," he introduced himself to her.

Her eyebrow rose involuntarily. "Peeta? Like the bread?"

There was laughter around them. "Yeah, kinda, it's spelled differently though. Say, are those cupcakes in those boxes?" he peered inside of one eagerly.

"Of course, you ask, I deliver," Gunner grinned, passing his box around to the others so they could take some. Everyone took one to start with and immediately began digging in between their laughter. The whole situation made Emma feel warm. The feeling of camaraderie and between the friends was something she'd never felt before, being the freak with the oxygen tank.

Gunner led her to sit next to Peeta and kept his arm around her while starting an animated conversation with him. A girl with wavy reddish-brown hair to her right nudged her in the ribs.

"So you're Emma, the new girlfriend?" Emma looked over at her and first noticed a nose ring and eyebrow piercing surrounding brilliant blue eyes. "I'm the old girlfriend, Indy."

Emma's eyebrows immediately furrowed. She began inspecting every detail of the girl, the exgirlfriend. Not only was her face beautiful (except for the piercings –not her thing), but also her body was perfect. Her barely-there bikini showed off her curves and only covering the essentials. Emma became very self-conscious of undressing to her own bikini, which she only wore because she thought her boyfriend would enjoy it. Maybe she wouldn't have to.

A dark skinned girl on Indy's other side noticed the look on Emma's face. "Don't scare the poor girl," she chipped in, letting out a chuckle before taking a sip of beer in her hand.

Indy looked at the other girl before smiling at Emma. "I'm just messing around. You have nothing to worry about. We dated like four years ago before we decided we're better off as friends." Emma nodded but was still looking at her critically. If Gunner dated girls like Indy before, what could he possibly see in Emma?

"My name is Angell by the way, with two L's," the girl on the right of Indy mentioned.

"Hi, I'm Emma," she said quietly, though Angell probably already knew who she was.

"Do you want a beer?" Angell didn't wait for an answer before reaching into a cooler for a cold one. The temperature difference between the ice-cold bottle and the hot beach made Emma shiver for a second. She stared at the bottle in her hand, unsure of what to do. "You don't like beer?" Angell questioned her with a tilted head.

"No, um, I mean I don't know. I've never had one before," Emma admitted while rubbing the condensation off the bottle.

"No way," Indy chuckled, her eyes studying Emma a bit closer. "How old are you?"

"I'm 17, but it's not like it's legal for me to drink."

"And that's going to stop you? I know you've had some of Gunner's cupcakes and they're not exactly legal," Indy pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but they're readily available," Emma fidgeted. This was starting to get uncomfortable.

The arm around her back tightened. "Are you okay?" Gunner whispered into her ear.

"Yeah, I just…" she looked down at the unopened bottle in her hand.

"One bottle probably won't get you drunk. We can share it, if you want.

You can at least taste it and see if you like it."

Emma nodded and tried to twist the cap open. A few people around them started to chuckle before Gunner stopped her. "You need a bottle opener," he smirked and reached behind them for the tool. Once the lid was popped off, Emma gingerly raised it to her lips and took a sip. She grimaced as she brought it down to her lap again. The expectant faces of Gunner, Angell and Indy greeted her when she looked up but she shook her head. "I don't like the bubbles," she explained while handing the offending drink to her boyfriend.

"We have some wine coolers, if you want," Angell offered, reaching back into the cooler.

Emma glanced at Gunner but he just shrugged. "Just a little." She was handed a light red drink and Gunner took it to take the lid off. This time when she sipped, she smiled. It was sweet and fruity with only a tinge of alcohol taste.

The group sat around in the circle for a while, catching up on what everyone had been up to. Emma mostly talked to Indy and Angell, the two girls asking her about Oregon.

"You live in White Pine Bay?" Indy asked while reaching for another cupcake.

"Yeah, the past ten years or so," she nodded.

"Where'd you live before that?"

"England," Emma shrugged.

Gunner nudged her. "You never showed me your English accent," he tried to say with the accent but failed horribly.

Everyone laughed. "It's a right sight better than yours is," she smirked, speaking with her natural drawl that she hadn't used in years.

He wasn't offended and instead smiled. "That's so cool."

"So in your town you must get like free weed with all your meals, right?" Indy brought the topic up again.

"We wish, but it's like an underground trade that we all know about."

"We should go up there some day," Angell mentioned. "Check out the scenery."

"You just want to see if you can score some free pot," Gunner said knowingly.

"Well, that too," Angell smirked.

A volleyball landed in the middle of their circle but didn't hit anyone. Gunner got up but instead of throwing it back he began walking it back over. "Do you mind if I play for a bit?" he asked Emma.

"Go ahead," she tried to say convincingly but she was starting to get anxious. She wasn't used to being alone with a ton of people like this in a social setting.

When he nodded and left the group, Angell leaned over towards Emma. "Want to go into the water for a bit and cool off?" Emma was grateful they were taking her in as their own friend and nodded. She stood up and began taking off her shorts and shirt, making sure to take off her cannula before doing so. She stopped moving when she heard laughter and immediately began feeling self-conscious.

"Oh we're not laughing at you," Indy assured her, her face pink from laughing. "Just what Gunner does to you."

"What?" Emma asked incredulously and looked down at herself. Everything looked relatively fine… except for the bright red hickey on her hip right above her bikini bottom. Her entire body began to flush in embarrassment as her eyes widened.

"Oh, don't worry. We all know he's insatiable," Indy winked at her as she stood up.

"Excuse me, not all of us have slept with him," Angell rolled her eyes as she also got up.

"Well, for your sake, I hope he's better now. We were both new when we started doing it and let's just say he liked it more than I did," Indy told Emma.

Emma was getting really uncomfortable with this conversation. "Oh, no, he's… good now," she said softly, looking over to the volleyball nets. Gunner had taken his shirt off and was enthusiastically running after the ball, intercepting other people from hitting the ball so he could hit it first.

"That's good. I guess he's had a few years to practice." Indy took one of her arms while Angell took the other and they started heading to the water. "Oh wait!" Indy suddenly stopped. "You don't need that tank thing, do you?"

"As long as I don't go under water, I should be fine," Emma assured her, waiting for the inevitable questioning about her tank and disease but it never came. Gunner might've warned them before they showed up.

They walked into the water until they were about waist deep and let the small waves sway their bodies a bit.

"You know, Gunner really likes you," Indy mentioned causally while looking towards the shore.

"I hope so," Emma chuckled. "I didn't come down here for someone who doesn't like me."

"No, I mean he really, really likes you. This past month, you're pretty much all he's been talking about. He even said he wants to move up to Oregon to be closer to you."

"Yeah, he's mentioned that before." Emma leaned down a bit so her shoulders would get wet.

"I think he's really serious about you," Angell said.

"I'm serious about him," Emma looked up at the two girls.

"Good, we like to see him happy. He's going to keep you around for a while," Indy told her.

"We'd like to get to know you better, and I was serious about going up to Oregon and not just for the weed," Angell said seriously.

Emma smiled and looked between the two girls. She might've just made her first girl friends and she couldn't believe she was missing out on this.


	10. Safe

By the time the sun went down, the large group of teenagers found their get together on the beach moved to Peeta's house. He lived with a few other friends not too far from the shore with an ocean view. Emma and Gunner walked in hand in hand while Indy chatted her ear off about random things. Gunner held the door open for all the girls and they immediately walked into a haze filled room. The smoke irritated Emma's eyes and lungs and she pressed the tube to her nose so she could breathe better. She tugged at Gunner's hand to get his attention.

"Is there anywhere we can go where there isn't smoke?" she managed to cough out.

"Shit. Yeah, yeah, sorry. I forgot about—you know." Grabbing her hand tighter, he weaved his way through the crowd of people. This party must've been going on for hours because people were already wasted. When they made their way out back, Emma saw a few guys standing on the roof of the house. A zipline had been made from the roof to a tree across the pool, allowing people a creative way to get in.

Gunner wrapped his arms around her and they absorbed the atmosphere together. "You know, I've never been to a party before," she mentioned.

"Do you like it?"

"I like having friends," she decided, not actually answering the question.

"Why don't you have many friends up there," he asked cautiously.

She turned around in his arms to look at him. "People think I'm weird, not just because of the tank but I also have a strong personality."

Gunner chuckled. "Oh yes you do." Emma raised her arm to hit him but he caught it in his hand. "That's what I love about you. You don't take any bullshit and you speak your mind. It's so hard to find someone who's so real nowadays."

She smiled and almost melted inside. How did she get the best boyfriend in the world?

They stayed for a few more hours and drank some fruity drinks (or girly drinks as Gunner calls them) before they headed back to the car.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Emma giggled a bit; she was slightly drunk.

"Please, I have the tolerance of a bear," he grinned at her before sliding into the driver's seat. "Do we have anymore cupcakes?"

There was a lone cupcake in the back seat when Emma looked. He asked her to pass it to him as he started the car and began the twenty minute drive back to his house.

"Are you really planning on moving to White Pine Bay?" she questioned as she grabbed the pastry from the back and gave it to her boyfriend.

"Well, yeah. Unless we break up between now and summer," he smiled.

A flash of panic went through her. What if they did break up? Would she never see him again?

"I hope we don't break up," she mentioned quietly. "You're seriously one of my best friends. Who am I kidding, you are my best friend and pretty much only friend."

He sadly smiled as he ate the cupcake. "It shouldn't be that way."

Before Emma could respond, bright lights flooded her eyes. The cupcake dropped as Gunner tried to see where he was going but it was to no avail. The last thing she remembered before everything went black was his hand gripping hers.

Everything came in flashes afterward. A loud beeping sound. Some movement. A bright light going in and out of view.

Emma couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think. Words were being thrown at her but she had a hard time putting them together.

What happened?

Those two words were the only things ringing through her head as she felt her body being moved.

"Is this a breathing tube?"

Emma tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't cooperate.

"There was an oxygen tank in the car, she probably has a lung condition. Let's intubate her first before she stops breathing."

Yes, lung condition, Emma thought. I can't breathe.

A tube was shoved down her throat and it was the first time her eyelids opened. There was a bright light above her that made her squeeze them closed again.

"She's conscious," a worried voice observed.

"We don't have time, she could bleed out if we wait."

What happened?

Multiple pricks were going through her skin but she couldn't move. Suddenly, the pain all came back. It was crippling, worse than anything she'd felt before. After a few seconds, she blacked out.

The next time she awoke, she was in a bed. She didn't open her eyes right away, remembering the burn of the lights the last time she did that. A few voices were murmuring at what she supposed was the end of the bed.

"We have to save both of them," a feminine voice whispered.

A few papers were shuffled and the other person sighed. "I don't know if we can."

Emma's heart froze. Gunner. She involuntarily gasped, wondering where her boyfriend was, if he was even alive.

She felt a weight placed on her arm after a second. "It's okay, honey, are you awake?" the woman asked her.

Slowly, Emma cracked open her eyes. The nurse in front of her was staring at her in sympathy.

"Gunner," she managed to choke out. Her throat was incredibly dry.

"The young man in the car with you?" Emma nodded. "He's in the ICU right now. He might have to be there for a while."

She felt like she couldn't breathe again. "But he'll be okay?"

The nurse looked at the man behind her. He grimaced and looked away. "We're giving him the best care that we can."

Emma felt like crying. Her eyes began welling up with tears so she closed them. "You're not from here, right?" She shook her head, still willing herself not to cry. "We have to transfer you to the hospital where you live. Your doctor is there and he can help you better."

Her eyes shot open. "You want to take me away from Gunner?" her voice broke in disbelief.

"We don't have the right facilities to accommodate your breathing condition, and added to the fact that you're under 18, you need to go back to your home state."

Not knowing what to say, Emma closed her eyes in defeat. "When do I leave?"

"We're setting up a helicopter to take you in about a half hour. We have oxygen here in the meantime for you."

Emma didn't respond. Her time of departure arrived quickly and she was situated into a helicopter. It took a while to get back to Washington but she slept most of the time. She couldn't believe that her perfect week with her boyfriend had to end like this. She didn't even get to stay the entire time and now she didn't know if she'd ever see him again.

They landed on top of the hospital she'd spent most of her time in while living in White Pine Bay. One of the attendants walked her to her room, where she found a surprise. Her dad was sitting in a chair and jumped up as soon as he saw her. Tears were running down his face as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Emma, love," he cried. "I thought you were gone."

"It's okay, Dad," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm okay."

He pulled her to an arms length away. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Gunner was driving and then there was a light, and then…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

He pulled her close again. "I'm just glad you're safe and here now."

Safe, yes, but she would rather be anywhere but here at that moment.


	11. News

There was nothing to do. The TV in the corner of the room only had shitty stations like the news and the weather. The windows were always drawn closed so Emma couldn't see outside. The nurses only came in to check her vitals and her IV, never talking during these visits.

Emma was bored and worried and scared.

After the second day, a doctor came into the room.

"Miss Decody," he greeted her. Emma nervously nodded back. "I see you were in a little accident."

"I don't really remember much of what happened," she admitted.

He sighed. "Well, what we do know is that you and the driver were both above the legal blood alcohol limit, seeing as you both are under 18." Emma lowered her head in shame. "But I didn't come in here to lecture you."

"How is he? Gunner? The driver?" she said quickly before he could say anything else.

The doctor shook his head. "He's still in California and I cannot release information on his condition to nonfamily members."

Emma sunk into her pillows again. What was the point of anything if they were separated?

"Now we really need to talk about what happened. Your injuries weren't fatal luckily but the risk of miscarrying is still high-"

"Wait, what?" Emma choked out. A slight ringing was in her ears.

"You weren't too severely injured to miscarry but we still need to watch you just in case. You cannot be released until the fetus is completely stable again and even then, I must remind you the dangers of drinking while pregnant."

She couldn't take anything in. He wasn't talking to her. No, this couldn't be possible.

"As for your lungs, they should be fine. Just make sure to keep up your oxygen intake and try not to exert yourself too much."

"P-pregnant?" she whispered, her eyes blurry from tears.

The doctor stopped talking and shuffled through his papers. "Yes, five weeks. Very early and therefore easy to miscarry so you need to be careful, Miss Decody." He looked down at her in sympathy, putting all the papers back in her chart. "I know this has been very jarring so please maintain a stable and safe lifestyle until this baby is born, alright."

She absently nodded and the doctor was gone before she realized it.

Pregnant.

What?

Her father was shaking her arm with food in his hands, trying to snap her out of it. "Darling, what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" She couldn't even look him in the face.

"I'm sorry, Dad." For so much. "I'm not hungry," she whispered.

Since her voice was so quiet, he couldn't hear her voice break. "I'll leave the food over here for when you want it then, love," she heard him say but she didn't move to see. "Are you alright?"

"I need him."

Her father wrapped his arms around her. "I know how it feels to be young and in love but after what he just pulled, putting my baby girl in danger, I think this distance will be good for the both of you," he said, putting his chin on the top of her head.

"No, but I need him right now," she began crying, thick hot tears running down her face.

He seemed surprised. "I'm sure you'll be able to see him by the end of the school year, alright? But right now you need to focus on your studies and getting better."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, quietly sobbing as he held her.

Things didn't get much better the next few days. Spring break was drawing to a close and the doctors agreed to let her out for school as long as she promised she wouldn't be driving (not a problem since she didn't have a car) and she would be resting as much as possible. She was discharged quickly and her father drove her home in silence. Emma was afraid to talk to her father lately. She was scared she would blurt out her secret and he would disown her. While the possibilities of that happening were slim to none, it was not something she would like to take a chance on.

At home, she checked her phone for the seventeenth time that day. Still no text from Gunner. She had texted him every day, simple things such as 'are you okay' and 'I'm so sorry for what happened'. If he had only texted back…

But what? Would she tell him over the phone? Over a text? Something this life changing?

Emma had no idea what to do. She was scared to tell her father, scared to tell her boyfriend, she had no mother to talk to and no girl friends to confide in.

While Norma was the closest thing to a mother that she had, she just couldn't tell her. Norma judged the hell out of Gunner and his relationship with Emma, no doubt Norma would tell her to abort the baby and break up with Gunner immediately.

Norman wouldn't know what to do. He would probably immediately go to his mother, starting the previous cycle again. Or worse, he just wouldn't care. He would shrug and go drool after Bradley again.

Who else could she talk to?

After a miserable day at school, she went up to the motel to tell Norma she couldn't work there for the next few months. While knowing she may desperately need the money soon (the thought made her feel dizzy), she knew she wouldn't be able to get the rest she needed for her (and the baby) while dealing with the crazy shit that happened at the motel.

"Norma?" she called as she opened the door to the office. A pair of blue eyes that didn't belong to either Norma or Norman shot up to her.

"She's not here right now. Um, they both went out to do their creepy Mother-Son bonding," Dylan rolled his eyes from behind the desk.

Emma froze in the doorway. "When will she be back?" she asked timidly.

Dylan shrugged. "What do you need her for?"

"I have to quit."

"Why?" he furrowed his eyebrows, finally taking in the bruises and the careful way she held herself.

"I was in an accident… when I was with Gunner… in California," she absently said. Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute.

"Wow, I'm sorry about that. I'm glad you're okay. He's okay too, right?"

She stared deeply into his eyes. "Dylan, I'm pregnant."

He wheeled back in his chair, his eyes widening. "Whoa, what? Are you… What?"

She closed her eyes as tears started to fall. "I'm sorry to just throw this on you but I don't know who else to tell. My dad would kill me, Norman wouldn't care, and Norma already hates him, you know? And I don't have any other friends or anything and you seem like a neutral party who knows both of us."

Dylan slowly nodded his head. "Does Gunner know?" he asked lowly.

"No, I just found out myself and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He still hasn't been responding to all of my texts and I don't know if he's too hurt to do it or if he's moved on or what. Like we won't be able to see each other that much and I don't know if he'd want to keep our relationship going like this. And seriously, what am I supposed to do with a fucking baby?" she cried almost hysterically.

All she could see in his eyes was pity and it killed her. That's all anyone looked at her with; pity, pity, pity. "I don't know what you expect me to do," he said honestly.

"Can you just help me?" she whimpered. "Try to contact Gunner or something. I don't know. I don't know what to do with my life anymore. This wasn't part of the plan."

The tears started again and Dylan stood up from his seat to pull her into an embrace. "Okay, I can do that. Anything you need, just ask, okay? I don't know if this will work out for you guys but I'm here for you."

"How am I supposed to pay for everything?" she asked rhetorically but he answered anyway.

"I can help you, okay? I just got promoted and I don't know, maybe if Gunner is into it I can get him to take my old job up here. You'll get through this, alright?"

Emma nodded and hugged him tighter. Even though everything was falling apart and her boyfriend wasn't answering his phone, it was good to know she had at least one person to count on in the world.


	12. Dad

When her phone dinged twice, indicating she got a text, she was expecting it to be Dylan. They had been talking for the past few days. He'd ask how she was doing, if she needed anything. Her answers were always the same: okay. I need Gunner.

She'd expected it to be another concerned text, telling her to eat, rest, stay out of trouble. How much more trouble can you get in when you're already a seventeen year old girl who can barely breathe on her own impregnated by a marijuana trimmer?

But her heart stopped when she saw who's name was at the top of the message. Gunner. She scrambled to pick up her phone and see what he finally replied to her with.

_**Where are you? Are you okay?** _

Her hands shook as she tried to type out a response to him. She barely worried if it made sense or not, she was just glad to be talking to him again.

_**I'm in White Pine Bay. I'm okay but we need to talk. When can you come see me? Are you okay?** _

She held her breath, waiting for his response. She had been doing some homework but that was completely forgotten now.

_**I have a broken arm and leg. I can't really work so I'll see if I can find my way up there. What's wrong?** _

Oh boy.

Emma fiddled with her phone for a minute, struggling to decide what to do. She nearly jumped when it began ringing in her hands. Gunner's name lit up the screen.

Shaking, she accepted the call and put it to her ear. "Gunner?"

"You were taking so long to answer. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I just... I have something I have to tell you." Her heart was stuck in her throat, making it difficult to speak.

It was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "Well, what is it?"

"Gunner, I'm... I... I'm pregnant," she finally rushed it all out, closing her eyes and praying that she wouldn't have to say it again.

She couldn't even hear him breathing anymore. There was some rustling on the line and then his breaths came quickly over the line. "What?" he whispered in disbelief.

"Apparently I'm only like six weeks along, which when you think about it is about the first time we, you know, and I  _promise_  I haven't been with anyone else, this is one hundred percent your baby-"

"I know, I know," he cut her off. "I'm not doubting that. It's just... What?"

She didn't know how to answer that so she just bit her lip, waiting for him to say something else.

"Have you thought of... what you wanted to do?" he asked almost timidly.

She furrowed her eyebrows. She hadn't, not really. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I mean, I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to have a baby again, if we get rid of this." She gulped, not able to imagine willingly killing the child growing within her. "But I'm not sure if I'm even healthy enough to have a baby. If I'll be there when he, or she, grows up."

"I will," Gunner said quickly. "If you want me to, that is."

"Of course I want you to. But what about your business?"

"What about it?"

"It's not exactly the safest job around. I don't want to be gone and then something happens to you too and our kid will have to grow up without parents."

"Wow, our kid..." Gunner said in awe, completely missing the point.

"Gunner, I'm being serious. How are we supposed to raise a kid? We're practically kids ourselves. And out of the two of us, you're the only one actually making money and it's in a dangerous way."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Emma. If you want to raise our kid, we have to have money. I can't guarantee my safety all the time but I will guarantee that I'll be there for you whenever I can. In fact, I'm gonna start looking at places to stay up there, okay?"

"You're really going to move up here?" she asked, her stomach fluttering. This is all she had wanted since practically the first time she had seen him.

"Definitely. I mean I was looking before but now I kind of have to. I need to be there with you."

"Is this just because I'm pregnant?" she asked doubtfully. She didn't want any pity. She just wanted his love.

"It's my baby too. I want to be there for every appointment you have, to see him at our first ultrasound. Plus, being close to you isn't exactly a downside," he chuckled a little.

"When do you think you can come up here?"

"As soon as I find a place, unless I just stay at the motel for a bit. I should probably talk to Dylan too. I'm gonna need some money fast if we're going to live together."

"Live together?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, you, me and the baby. Is there something wrong with that?"

"It's just... I'm a junior in high school. I don't think my dad is going to want me to move out to live with my boyfriend."

"I don't think he's going to be happy that you're pregnant either but it's happening either way... Unless you really don't want to." He sounded unsure at the end.

"I do, it's just kinda weird, you know? A few months ago, I didn't think I'd ever have a boyfriend, let alone a baby. But then I met you," she smiled and turned to get in a more comfortable position. However, the sight of her dad standing in the doorway to her room with the most scandalized look on his face made her freeze. "I have to go," she told Gunner quickly before hanging up the phone. "Dad..." she said as she bit her lip, fear and shame washing over her.

His face looked sad, tired and worried. "You're pregnant?"


End file.
